During their meeting on Tuesday morning, the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to approve a new pay raise structure for county employees. Under the new plan, all full-time employees will receive a flat raise of $2,750, instead of a percentage rate increase currently used.
The change in payment came after a meeting between the board, elected officials, and county department heads, during discussions over salary increases for fiscal year 2026-27. Board members and department heads expressed concerns about helping the county’s lowest-paid employees, and suggested a flat raise instead of a percentage raise to “reduce the gap” between employees.
The Supervisors debated the proposed change for over an hour on Tuesday. Initially, the rate considered was between $3,000 and $3,500, but the final number agreed was set at $2,750. Supervisors Don Kass, Mike Van Otterloo, and Doug Manley voted for the proposal, while supervisors John Meis and Craig Anderson voted against. Van Otterloo made the motion and pushed for a higher amount, while Meis proposed a 3% raise for each department and letting department heads decide on raises.
In addition, the Board approved a $10,000 raise for IT director Shawn Olsen and IT assistant Cole Beitelspacher, in order to match what other IT professionals in similarly-sized counties in Iowa make. All full-time employees will receive a $2,750 raise next fiscal year; hourly employees will receive a $1.32/hour raise. The proposal won’t apply to employees represented by bargaining units.
