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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Johnson County compensation board suggests limiting raises, citing budgetary pressures
Board of Supervisors has final say on whether to adopt recommendations
Dec. 4, 2025 4:57 pm
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IOWA CITY — The Johnson County Compensation Board is recommending a 2.6 percent cost of living adjustment increase and no merit raises for the county’s elected officials in an attempt to account for upcoming budgetary pressures.
The board, which met Wednesday, also is recommending an additional 0.5 percent increase in pay for the county attorney and county auditor.
The compensation board, comprised of seven members appointed by the county’s elected officers, makes recommendations about pay increases for county elected officials to the Board of Supervisors, which has final decision making power.
The Board of Supervisors has adopted the compensation board’s recommendations the past two fiscal years.
Johnson County is not legally required to have a compensation board, after a state law dissolved them last year, but the supervisors reinstated the board.
Pausing three year plan, reevaluate at next meeting
The compensation board had been following a three year plan that was set to end in Fiscal Year 2027, but its members chose to deviate from the plan to account for upcoming budgetary pressures.
The three year plan called for yearly cost of living adjustment increases based on Social Security Administration determinations, potential merit awards and other increases to account for changes in Iowa Code relating to sheriff’s salaries.
“With the kind of bleak outlook that we're getting from finance and obviously the continued discussion at the state legislature about property tax and what that means for us, I do think this is a good year to take that plan and pause it, and then we reevaluate it next year,” Sheriff Brad Kunkel told the compensation board this week.
If the recommended changes are approved, elected officials’ salaries would be:
- County Attorney: $214,639.00 to $ 220,219.61
- Recorder and Treasurer: $143,713.00 to $147,449.53
- Auditor: $143,713.00 to $148,168.10
- Supervisors: $102,334.00 to $104,994.68
- Sheriff: $208,029.00 to $213,437.75
Decoupling auditor from recorder, treasurer salaries
The compensation board also recommended considering the auditor’s compensation independent of the recorder’s and treasurer’s pay.
For years there’s been a conversation about increasing the auditor’s compensation, on the basis that the responsibilities of the role exceed that of recorder and treasurer.
The recommended 0.5 percent increase for the auditor was an effort by the compensation board to show it supports decoupling moving forward.
Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com
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