Douglas County’s new Assessor/Register of Deeds will be paid $120,000 a year.
Commissioners voted Tuesday to set the salary for the holder of the new combined office. Last November, Douglas County voters approved a merger of the two offices.
Board chairwoman Mary Ann Borgeson wanted the starting salary set at $111,000, saying the higher amount was unfair to other elected county officials. She said the salaries of all county officials should be reviewed.
“It’s my opinion we should bring them all back next week and re-do it, because we have done an injustice not only to the taxpayers, but we’ve done an injustice to the officeholders, the chief deputies, and the other employees within Douglas County in setting these salaries in the way in which we set them.”
Borgeson’s motion failed, and Commissioners approved the $120,000 base salary starting with the 2015 fiscal year. Commissioner Clare Duda was among the board members who argued for a higher salary for the job.
“Obviously, I believe this is too low of a salary. For us to decide that this doesn’t deserve to be paid as much as the Lancaster, the only other combined office around with half the number of parcels to deal with, we’re supposed to be setting it for the position and not pay attention to the people involved. I don’t believe that that’s what we’re doing in this case.”
A two-percent pay increase will be in effect each year through fiscal year 2018.
Douglas County voters will elect an Assessor/Register of Deeds in November 2014.