Cerro Gordo supervisors freeze their pay, approve raises for other elected officials

MASON CITY — The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors today approved pay raises for the next fiscal year for all of the county’s elected officials except for themselves.

The county’s Compensation Board back on December 10th recommended two-and-three-quarter percent increases in the salaries of the county’s attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff and treasurer, as well as the three county supervisors for the county’s fiscal year that starts on July 1st. The supervisors approved those recommendations today, but decided to freeze their pay at $52,460.

Second district supervisor Casey Callanan says the board’s current members have made that same decision since 2017. “Just as a side note, I know this is the third consecutive year with no wage adjustment for the Board of Supervisors.”

First district supervisor Tim Latham says his vote is based on a campaign promise when he ran for office in 2016. “Based on what I told voters when I ran for election that I would not be asking for any pay raises during that time in office.”

Third district supervisor Chris Watts was in agreement with his colleagues. “It’s not about politics, it’s about promises we made to our constituents on holding our salaries for this term, and we have.”

By law, the supervisors are not allowed to approve anything higher than the board’s recommendation, but they can freeze or cut their own pay.

== Sheriff Kevin Pals will see his salary increase to $106,113

== County Attorney Carlyle Dalen’s pay goes up to $126,767

== County Treasurer Patricia Wright, County Recorder Colleen Pearce, and County Auditor Adam Wedmore will each see their salary increase to $78, 115.