Des Moines County supervisors approve recommended raises for several elected officials

Des Moines County’s Board of Supervisors voted to adopt resolution 2026‑012, approving salary recommendations for several elected county officials for fiscal 2026‑27.

Supervisor James Cummings outlined the board’s approach, saying the county compares elected-officer pay with similar offices in other counties and that Des Moines County’s taxable value per capita leaves it “at a disadvantage.” Cummings proposed “an increase of 3% for the attorney, the auditor, the recorder, the sheriff, and the treasurer,” and suggested a smaller increase for the board.

Supervisors debated the size of raises and the county’s fiscal constraints. One supervisor said it would be “hard to go another 8%” for attorney pay after recent larger increases, while others noted promotions and step increases already required by code for specific positions. The board discussed automatic required items versus discretionary capital or personnel expenditures before taking votes on line items.

A motion to adopt the resolution was made and seconded and a roll call vote was recorded in the minutes. The resolution was approved. The minutes record that supervisors exchanged differing views on whether supervisors should receive a 0%, 1% or 3% increase, but the board adopted the overall recommended package as presented.

The board’s action does not itself change payroll until the fiscal-year budget and payroll processes update those positions; the board discussed that some salary changes are required by code (for example, promotion to the first assistant county attorney’s percentage of the county attorney salary) while others reflect policy choices. The board also noted past ranks of elected‑officer pay and the county’s goal to move closer to parity with similarly sized counties.

What’s next: the recommendation will be incorporated into the county’s FY2027 budget process and implemented according to county payroll procedures.