Council authorizes median pay range for highway superintendent amid debate over engineering role

The Decatur County Council voted to authorize a salary midpoint of $70,917 for the highway superintendent position after extended discussion about engineering requirements, federal-aid design rules and the county's likely costs.

Presenter Mr. Pessell reviewed a Wagner/Erwin/Shealy salary study and told the council he had gathered comparative data from 33 counties that participate in the state's program. He said many counties employ or contract engineers, and that federal-aid projects require independent engineering sign-off, which limits how much a county can avoid external engineering fees.

"The engineering cost that we had for 2025 was $900... that was for a traffic study," Mr. Pessell said, adding that vendors often supply schematics and engineering details that reduce some in-house design workload. He recommended authorizing the $70,917 midpoint but proposed also authorizing a higher salary if the county hires a candidate with a professional engineering stamp.

Council members debated hiring priorities: some said the superintendent role should emphasize operations and people management, while others said candidates with engineering credentials might warrant higher pay because the state provides partial reimbursement for licensed engineers. Kenny moved to authorize the median $70,917 salary; Rick seconded the motion and the council approved it by voice vote, with members noting they could revisit the pay if a candidate with engineering credentials is selected.

The council did not adopt a separate policy specifying exact pay increases for licensed engineers; members indicated that approach could be considered if a particular candidate's qualifications and the state's reimbursement terms warranted it.