County attorney will not seek re‑election; board urged to consider making office full‑time

The Winneshiek County attorney announced to supervisors that, after 32 years in the office, he will not seek re‑election.

The attorney urged the board to consider converting the county attorney position to full‑time and offered to prepare a draft resolution and recommended salary range. He cited Iowa Code 331.752 for procedure and said any resolution adopting a full‑time position must set an annual salary and be adopted before March 1 in an election year so prospective candidates know the terms before filing. He offered to send the county attorney salary survey and to propose a narrower salary range for the board’s consideration.

Supervisors discussed the implications of converting the office, including possible budget trade‑offs, the effect on assistant staffing needs and potential HR responsibilities. Board members noted that a full‑time county attorney cannot maintain private practice and that changing the position could affect candidate interest. The county attorney said the salary range would be based on district court judge pay percentages (he cited a statutory range based on the judge’s salary) and volunteered to draft a resolution for a future meeting. No formal action was taken at the meeting; supervisors asked for a follow‑up recommendation on salary range and a prepared resolution.