CROW WING COUNTY PAY RAISES

Crow Wing County Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to hand out raises to the county sheriff, attorney, auditor, recorder and treasurer. Raises ranged from $3-7,000, become effective next year and are part of a move to a new 'pay matrix', an effort to standardize future pay increases. Commissioner Paul Thiede voted against the raises. He said this was an opportunity for elected officials to demonstrate they were serious about this budget, "that they would be willing to hold the line on their salaries, but that didn't happen." County Human Resources Director Tamra Laska recommended that commissioner's salaries be raised by about $1,000 a year but the motion to approve that increase died for lack of a second. The commissioners also voted 3-2 in favor of a 3% increase in spending next year instead of the 5% earlier approved. Thiede said no matter what some are saying, a three percent increase in spending is not a budget cut. Commissioners will make the final decision on next year's budget at the December 11 board meeting.