Mercer County amends joint-powers wage to $52.94 for HR and emergency management

The Mercer County Commission amended a joint-powers agreement on Feb. 4 to increase the hourly rate the county pays for combined human-resources and emergency-management services. The board approved an amendment moving the hourly rate from $50.94 to $52.94, a $2 increase per hour.

Commissioners debated a proposed larger increase that staff reported reflected a roughly 24.5% rise from the prior year. Speaker 7 said the dollar amount in the agreement had been changed "to capture what my wage increase was with benefits," and that the draft otherwise "pretty much stayed the same." Speaker 4 described the 24.5% figure as a "hefty increase," prompting an amendment from Speaker 1 to limit the change to $2 per hour. "I would make amendment to my motion to have a $2 increase from the 2025 budget, which would turn the $50.94 into $52.94," Speaker 1 said.

The board clarified the amended figure would be returned to the partner county (Oliver County) for approval. Commissioners also discussed the timing of any broader budget changes and noted that, if the partner county later altered its participation, Mercer County might have to make cuts. Speaker 2 said he supported holding the current amount steady until county budget discussions in 2027, while Speaker 1 urged a middle ground to avoid placing the full burden on Mercer County taxpayers.

After debate, the commission voted on the amendment; the motion carried with members recording ayes. The amendment will be forwarded to Oliver County for concurrence before any contract is finalized.

The commission did not record a final binding contract signature at the meeting; several commissioners noted additional budget and schedule checks would follow before any multi-county contract is executed.