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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024/04/01 MASON COUNTY CITIZENS' COMMISSION ON SALARIES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS (Salary Commission) Meeting Minutes 411 North 5th Street,Shelton and Zoom Monday,April 1, 2024, 5:30 p.m. Meeting was held hybrid—in-person and via Zoom. Members in attendance:Jim Morrell, Chair; Leeland Wells, Vice-Chair; Mary Jo Cady, Secretary;Jann Goodpaster, Matt Mallery, Devin Ferner, Brent Frahm, Richard Wilson, Roger Lewis, and Braden Sisk. Also in attendance: Mark Neary, County Administrator and McKenzie Smith, Clerk of the Board. Chair Jim Morrell called the meeting to order at 5:31 p.m. and roll call was taken. Adoption of March 26, 2024 Minutes Mary Jo/Roger moved and seconded to approve the March 26, 2024 Salary Commission minutes to include "Chair Neatherlin and Auditor Duenkel left the meeting at 5:45 p.m."and "the Auditor returned briefly to the meeting to clarify that should the Salary Commission complete its work by May 1, or before the filing period, that the new salaries would be used to determine the appropriate filing fee". Motion carried. Adoption of By-Laws Jim brought forward suggested amendments to the draft by-laws including clarification between the County Commissioners and the Salary Commissioners. Section IV—Term. Lee proposed staggering terms; the initial term for three of six Salary Commissioners selected by lot draw and two of four Salary Commissioners selected by appointment will end in 2024 and the remaining will end in 2025. Per RCW,the original appointing authority would select new incoming Salary Commissioners. Devin added that the lottery was done by district, Salary Commissioners would be replaced by an individual from the same district. Mary Jo suggested rolling the Salary Commissioner terms into new two-year terms that would automatically stagger. Jann asked if the County Commissioners would amend the Resolution for truncated terms. Brent and Lee suggested voluntary resignations first then by draw. Jim proposed the verbiage for Section IV- Term to include "initial terms for three (3) of six (6) Salary Commissioners selected by lot and two (2) of four(4) selected by appointment shall end December 31, 2024 with the remaining Salary Commissioners initial terms ending December 31, 2025. A second term may be appointed by the Auditor or Board of County Commissioners for the positions selected by lot or appointed, respectively". Mary Jo mentioned there is no option for those drawn by lottery to opt in for a second term and that it would be optimal for that experience to stay on the Salary Commission. Section VII—Compensation/Expenses. Jim discussed adding the language "at the same privately owned vehicle mileage reimbursement rate of Mason County Employees. This is for transportation from the member's residence to the Salary Commission's meeting location and for official Salary Commission business". Devin suggested adding "to and from". Devin/Mary Jo moved and seconded to adopt the Mason County Citizens'Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials (Salary Commission)by-laws with the clarification between the Board of County Commissioners and Salary Commissioners with addition to section seven and exception of section four as suggested. Motion carried. J:\BOARDS\Salary Commission\Minutes\2024-04-01.docx Adopt Base Salary Definition Jim defined the base salary as salary only, does not include benefits. Mary lo/Leeland moved and seconded to define the base salary as salary only, does not include benefits. Motion carried. Review Information from Human Resources Information included Mason County Elected Official compensation data, current Elected Official market position overview, comparable county salary ranges,Washington Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials (WCCSEO), County Commissioner briefing minutes, 2024 Non-Represented Salary Range Alignment with 2%across the board (ATB), Mason County organizational chart, and a Resolution discussing the County Administrator's level of authority. Jim provided an additional Excel spreadsheet that combined data for easier comparison. Devin pointed out an inconsistency in Sheriffs pay. Organization charts for Cowlitz, Lewis, Kittitas, Island,Jefferson, Clallam, and Walla Walla were also included. Mark added that the Sheriffs salary is set to 5%above the Undersheriffs salary which has a step range. Jim will update his spreadsheet for the next meeting. The Salary Commission took a 10-minute break. Establish Salary Setting Parameters Establish Comparable Counties Jim discussed equity between Elected Official positions, i.e. between the Clerk and Coroner, Auditor and Assessor, Treasurer and Sheriff, etc. and looking at job descriptions and responsibilities. It is optional to use comparable counties as a guide or starting point or a percentage of Superior Court Judges salaries. County Commissioner salaries were capped at a 1% increase since 2013. Elected Official positions need to attract individuals who are capable, prepared, and have the capacity to run for office. Current Mason County comparable counties are Clallam, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island,Jefferson, Lewis, and Skagit. The new comparable counties keep Cowlitz and Skagit and add Kittitas and Walla Walla. Lee/Devin approved and seconded to use the current seven comparable counties adding Kittitas and Walla Walla. Motion carried. Review Position by Position Jim suggested suspending conversation around Sheriff and County Commissioner salaries until other Elected Official positions are discussed next week. Question/Answer/Discussion period for Salary Commission The April 8, 2024 agenda will include the following topics: language around Section IV—Term of the Salary Commission By-Laws, discussion around comparable counties and the Superior Court Judge salary. Richard added the Elected Official positions should be lucrative and attract qualified candidates who will be J:\BOARDS\Salary Commission\Minutes\2024-04-Ol.docx properly compensated. Jim will create a questionnaire to circulate to the Elected Officials once approved at the next meeting. Lee added that interviews with current Elected Officials can be done in person at a later date. The April 15, 2024 Salary Commission meeting will be at the Human Resources building. Public Comment—there was no public comment. Adjourn -the meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m. Minutes submitted by: McKenzie Smith MASON COUNTY CITIZENS' COMMISSION ON SALARIES FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS J' Morrell, Chair J:\BOARDS\Salary Commission\Minutes\2024-04-01.docx