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Board approves preliminary budget after direction to reduce wage increase assumptions
Summary
The board approved a preliminary budget after staff revised proposed wage increases; commissioners asked staff to prepare a final budget using a 4% increase plus one step rather than a 5% plus step assumption, narrowing projected overage to roughly $6,000.
Auditor/Administrator Sandy Fossum presented a revised preliminary budget to the Richland County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 6, reporting changes to start wages for dispatch, step adjustments for correction officers, three proposed new positions and a cost‑of‑living adjustment.
Fossum said she and Jill Breuer adjusted dispatch starting wages to be more competitive and modified some correction‑officer steps so they would not be paid less than dispatchers. With those changes and a 5% plus step cost‑of‑living adjustment, Fossum said the budget was about $6,000 over the amount the commissioners had allotted; she said the average increase across affected positions was about 7.1%. Commissioners asked for a more conservative assumption. Commissioner Nathan Berseth said 7.1% “seemed aggressive,” and Commissioner Rollie Ehlert urged continued progress on wages while watching costs. The board asked Fossum to prepare the final budget with 4% plus one step on the wage scale.
Commissioner Berseth moved and Commissioner Tim Campbell seconded approval of the preliminary budget; the motion passed unanimously.
