Chickasaw County officials present salary requests and budget context as offices face staffing pressures
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Summary
Treasurer, auditor, county attorney and sheriff each summarized office workloads and presented pay or budget requests (many asking for roughly 4% increases); officials also reported revenue and investment gains and discussed regionalization and efficiency measures amid recruiting challenges.
Several Chickasaw County elected officials presented budget and compensation information to the board and requested pay adjustments or budget consideration during the county's upcoming budgeting process.
Treasurer Matt Weisbrand said the treasurer's office collected just over $6.5 million in motor-vehicle-related fees in the last 12 months and reported investment income of about $568,436 over the preceding 11 months (he estimated roughly $600,000 for a full 12‑month span). Weisbrand said changes taking effect in January will allow the county to retain more of those fees and described staffing in his office (three clerks and two deputies). He characterized the requested compensation approach as staying "in the middle" of comparable counties.
Auditor Sheila Shackleton described her role as clerk and county financial officer and presented market research showing an average auditor salary near $76,684 among a comparison set of counties. Shackleton asked the board to consider a 4% increase for fiscal year 2026, saying "if we did 4%, that would be $2,980.88, which would put me at a salary of $77,502.88." She highlighted staff responsibilities and cross-training and said her office handles many county budget and election tasks.
The sheriff (unnamed in the transcript) outlined his office's responsibilities, said the office employs 18 staff including himself, and recommended a 4% adjustment for his position; he also noted deputies historically have been paid at roughly 80–85% of the sheriff's salary.
County Attorney Miles said a previous shared-attorney arrangement ended and he has absorbed the full range of duties without a deputy or assistant; he argued that comparisons must account for whether counties have an assistant and cited a market rate of roughly $135,315 for comparable full-time county attorneys. Miles said he would "be requesting a 4% raise, same as all union folks got," noted the office saved roughly $45,000 by not renewing a shared-assistant contract, and discussed efficiencies achieved through technology and reestimates of his office budget.
Board members and officeholders also discussed broader staffing challenges and possible regionalization of services (shared 2080 agreements), cross-training, the effect of health insurance and benefit changes on take-home pay, and technology investments that have reduced paper handling and improved efficiency. Several supervisors praised clerks and support staff and urged the board to consider total compensation and retention when evaluating raises.
No formal votes on compensation were recorded at this meeting. The board adjourned at 09:58 AM; supervisors indicated the compensation requests and revenue figures will be reviewed as part of the formal budget process.
