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Commission discusses creating planning and zoning board, staffing and department pay adjustments for preliminary budget
Summary
Commissioners debated creating a formal planning and zoning board with appointed members and discussed preliminary budget proposals for the tax office, recommending grade increases for the tax director and staff to keep pay competitive and avoid turnover.
Emmons County commissioners discussed establishing a planning and zoning board, its likely composition and budget implications, and reviewed proposed pay adjustments for county tax office staff for the upcoming budget.
Commissioners said a planning and zoning board could offload routine land‑use decisions from the commission and provide subject‑matter review for permits and conditional‑use applications. The proposed composition discussed would include representatives from each commissioner district plus city‑appointed members; commissioners noted the difficulty of recruiting volunteers and discussed stipend levels, meeting frequency and whether the board would be funded from the general fund or a separate levy.
On personnel and the preliminary budget, the commission considered a proposal to reclassify the tax director (Christina) to a higher pay grade once state certification is achieved and to raise a deputy (Karina) to a higher step, citing comparable county‑level wages and the difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified staff. Commissioners generally agreed to include the proposed adjustments in the preliminary budget, noting that final budget appropriations may later be adjusted at the biennial 'ax' meeting.
No final ordinance to create a zoning board was adopted at the meeting; the matter will move forward with staff follow‑up on composition, meeting frequency, cost estimates and a recommended levy or funding source to include in the budget workplan.
