Washington County’s sheriff and clerk of courts will receive raises of 8.69 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively, following this fall’s partisan elections.
Their salaries will increase to $96,897 and $74,075, respectively, in 2015. Additional raises between 2.55 percent and 2.69 percent are scheduled in the next three years. The vote was 24-6 to approve the pay schedules.
Salaries for the three other elected department managers, county clerk, treasurer and register of deeds, were set in 2012 before their elections.
Both Sheriff Dale Schmidt and Clerk of Courts Theresa Russell face re-election Nov. 4 with the next fouryear terms beginning Jan. 1. Both received a 2 percent raise this year and in 2012 and no salary increase in 2011 and 2013.
Last year, Russell added the duties of juvenile court clerk, one reason why the 5.2 percent raise next year is proposed. Washington County’s clerk of court also is paid less than her peers in four of the five counties used for comparison, County Manager Joshua Schoemann said.
For the sheriff, the 8.69 percent increase is an effort to get that office in line not only with other counties, but with the salaries of municipal police chiefs and the sheriff’s command staff.
The board also approved wage adjustments for deputy sheriffs based on their new contract, increased starting wage for hiring deputies and added limited-term employees to the new pay plan.