Kossuth County engineer urges pay adjustments to retain staff, presents road‑system and fund‑balance data
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Summary
The county engineer presented statewide comparisons showing Kossuth’s large road system and argued for wage/step‑program changes to recruit and retain staff; he estimated a healthy road fund balance but cautioned about long‑term staffing costs and competitive private‑sector recruitment.
Kossuth County’s county engineer presented a detailed review of statewide data and a proposed compensation structure for road department employees, urging the board to consider adjustments to retain skilled staff.
The engineer told supervisors Kossuth County covers about 973 square miles and maintains roughly 1,647 miles of secondary roads — among the largest systems in the state — and that the county’s per‑mile spending ranks below many peers. He walked the board through comparative figures from the Iowa County Engineer Service Bureau and argued that competitive wages and a clear step program are important to retain experienced operators, mechanics and professional engineers.
On compensation, the engineer proposed a four‑step approach (probationary → equipment operator levels → senior steps) and outlined sample FY27 wages built on a 3% increase for the county engineer’s salary that then sets proportional steps for deputies and technicians. He said recruiting is competitive and warned the county has recently lost an engineer to another county job; the engineer estimated the road fund’s end‑of‑year balance between roughly $4.9 million and $5.8 million and said using some reserves is possible but urged caution on large, permanent increases without revenue changes.
Supervisors discussed longevity, step‑program mechanics, collective bargaining history and the county’s options for structuring pay. The board asked staff to return with structured proposals and to engage counsel on compliance questions so any changes align with law and existing personnel rules.
