Pay increase pared back for Waukesha County officials

Published on: 5/26/2010

Waukesha - The Waukesha County Board has nicked away at a recommended pay increase over the next four years for three elected officials: the sheriff, clerk of courts and county executive.

Rather than approve a 1% increase next year and a 2% raise in each of the succeeding three years, as recommended by two committees, supervisors voted Tuesday to cut back the sheriff's and court clerk's pay raises to 1% in the next two years and 1.5% in the last two years of the term. The board was slightly more generous with the county executive, allowing a 1.5% raise in the last three years of the next term.

The amended pay plan, approved 20-3, will save taxpayers $6,113 over four years for the three positions, compared with the original proposal.

For the first time, the elected officials will pay a share - 1% of their wages - toward the employee's share owed the Wisconsin Retirement System. Nonunion county employees hired as of Jan. 1, 2007, face a similar requirement.

As approved by the County Board and awaiting County Executive Dan Vrakas' signature:

The clerk of courts elected in November would be paid $73,963 in 2011 and earn $76,961 in 2014, the final year of the term. The sheriff elected in November would be paid $97,829 in 2011 and $101,794 by 2014. The county executive elected in April would be paid $98,052 in 2011 and $102,531 in 2014. The executive currently earns $97,081.

In other business Tuesday, the County Board unanimously approved using $400,000 in jail assessment fees to cover increased costs expected in constructing a new secure corridor between the jail and the courthouse. The project, which will segregate prisoners from the general public as they're being transferred to and from courtrooms, has a total cost, including planning, of $2.4 million.