Polk County attorney warns pay gaps could hurt recruitment and retention

Greg Widseth, Polk County’s attorney, told commissioners on Tuesday that about 94% of his office’s proposed budget is devoted to salaries and benefits and that the county faces a recruitment and retention problem for attorneys. "My concern isn’t necessarily finding someone to hire... my concern always becomes retaining those people," Widseth said, pointing to higher pay at public defender offices and recent raises in nearby counties.

Widseth cited examples from neighboring jurisdictions that have boosted pay to keep staff: "McLeod County did, I think. Otter Tail County did too. They substantially increased their wages," he said. He said his office sees occasional new graduates but expects that, absent competitive pay, attorneys will move to better-paying public defender or private positions.

Commissioners asked about residency requirements; Widseth confirmed a county attorney must reside in the county and noted that residency limits make some rural counties, such as Pennington, particularly vulnerable to turnover. He also described operational pressure from carrying a full criminal caseload while maintaining responsibilities such as codifying ordinances and overseeing case management software and research subscriptions (MCAPS, Westlaw).

Widseth offered to prepare a formal pay proposal and comparisons to other counties for the board’s consideration. "I can sure bring one forward to you if you’d like me to," he said. Several commissioners stressed that any retention steps should be well‑coordinated with ongoing labor negotiations and the county’s broader pay-equity work.

Action taken: the board approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session. No formal decision on attorney compensation was made; Widseth left the meeting prepared to return with a proposal for pay adjustments or step increases.