Kootenai County approves appraiser promotions and $2,610 back pay after assessor raises wage‑study concerns

Kootenai County commissioners approved two position conversions promoting residential appraisers from level 2 to level 3 and authorized $2,610 in back pay for a commercial appraiser on March 20, 2025.

The actions came after public comment from Assessor Kovacs, who asked why a county wage study began before departments completed updated job descriptions and noted earlier wage‑study findings. "The wage study concluded in 2022 ... that the assessor salary ... should be $103,844," Kovacs said during public comment, adding that in 2022 the board "cut the salary to $45,000." Kovacs framed those remarks as a matter of record and said HR told the assessor's office the 2025 wage study began in December 2024 and that HR expects to receive the results by next week.

The board then took up two related personnel items from the Assessor's Office. Troy Steiner of the Assessor's Office described the practical differences between appraiser levels during the agenda presentation, saying the classifications are "based on competence to competence level" rather than strictly on time served. Steiner explained an appraiser 3 "has at least 3 years of experience [and] can work independently and do all of those tasks with some level of competence," while appraiser 2 work must be reviewed by a certified appraiser.

Commissioners voted to convert position 140-510 from residential appraiser 2 to residential appraiser 3 and position 145-009 from residential appraiser 2 to residential appraiser 3. Both motions passed with recorded ayes from the three commissioners present.

The board also considered a request to provide back pay for a commercial appraiser (position 060-001) for duties performed beginning mid‑July 2024. Assessor Kovacs and county staff described the back‑pay request as the result of an administrative oversight: the staff member earned the certification that triggers a step increase, but the certification paperwork and a formal request were not processed at the time. County staff described the certification trigger process: HR receives a notice around an employee's anniversary, the Idaho State Tax Commission confirms certification by mail, and the county then processes a classification or step change. Commissioners asked for documentation of the certification and the trigger dates during the discussion but also expressed a desire to resolve the matter quickly. The board approved the back pay as a one‑time bonus in the amount of $2,610.

In discussion, Assessor Kovacs reiterated that the assessor's office has had turnover and gaps in senior appraisers and said the department is working to institute clearer processes and to provide commissioners the office's five‑year plan and organizational charts to answer repeated questions about staffing ratios. "You have a world of information there," Kovacs said of the five‑year plan, noting it is statutorily required and follows a template used statewide.

The actions taken at the meeting were procedural approvals of position conversions and a back‑pay payment; no changes to county pay policy were adopted during the session. Commissioners also discussed incorporating certification‑triggered increases into annual budgets to avoid similar lapses going forward.

Votes at a glance: position conversion 140-510 — approved; position conversion 145-009 — approved; back pay for position 060-001 — approved as a $2,610 bonus.

The meeting later entered and exited executive session for other personnel items; those items were recorded as staff directions when the board returned to open session.