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Montcalm commissioners agree on approach to county wage study, direct controller to produce final proposal
Summary
After extended debate over a county wage study, Montcalm commissioners agreed to use the wage-study column representing comparables' average plus 1% as a baseline, approved a set of preliminary position-level adjustments, and directed the county controller to compile final cost totals for approval at a future meeting.
The Montcalm County Board of Commissioners spent much of its Jan. 13 meeting debating a county wage study and recommended pay adjustments for elected officials, department heads and selected deputies.
After more than two hours of discussion, the board reached a working consensus to use the study column that represents the 14-county average plus 1% as their baseline, and to task County Controller Brenda (surname not specified in the transcript) with compiling precise dollar totals and a formal proposal for approval at the board's next meeting.
Commissioners reviewed a spreadsheet of multiple pay scenarios and compared Montcalm salaries to the averages from 14 comparable counties. They discussed whether stipends paid for additional duties should be included in base salary or kept separate. Several commissioners said stipends should remain separate (added on top of base pay) because stipends represent duties above and beyond baseline job descriptions; others argued for parity among offices by aligning base pay first.
During item-by-item review, the board tentatively approved or discussed specific adjustments, including raising the county clerk’s base to $81,000 and setting deputies’ targets near $58,000; placing several elected or comparable positions (county clerk, treasurer, equalization director, register of deeds and juvenile court administrator) near an $81,000 benchmark (method and stipend treatment discussed); setting the human-resources specialist’s hourly rate at $30; and raising various sheriff’s-office and corrections positions (undersheriff, jail administrator) toward higher averages. Commissioners also discussed keeping the prosecutor’s salary at the average shown in the study (about $103,000) and adjusting assistant prosecutor slots to improve recruitment. Several hourly positions and administrative assistants were examined for smaller, targeted raises.
Speakers repeatedly emphasized the board's intent to bring Montcalm closer to the peer-county average without creating unsustainable one-year budget swings. Commissioners asked the controller to total the dollar impact of their chosen figures and return with a clear proposal and the exact fiscal impact at the next meeting.
Commissioner (name not specified) moved to have the county controller compile the numbers and prepare a formal proposal reflecting the board’s decisions; the motion was supported and carried by voice vote.
Commissioners did not adopt a final compensation schedule at the Jan. 13 meeting; instead they directed staff to provide the full cost tallies and a proposal for a future vote.
