County leaders have decided to give raises to six sheriff's deputies for additional work providing police services to Ketchum. However, the salaries of Sheriff Walt Femling and that of a county clerk were not increased as requested by Femling.
At a meeting Tuesday afternoon at the Old County Courthouse in Hailey, the Blaine County Commission voted to give 3 percent raises to three sergeants and a lieutenant, a 4 percent raise to a captain, and a 5 percent raise to a chief deputy. The raises will be implemented retroactively to Oct. 1.
The issue had been hotly debated in two previous meetings, with Femling arguing that these individuals have taken on new responsibilities and duties in the wake of a contract for service between the county and the city of Ketchum that gives Femling's department control of law enforcement in the city.
The $1.56 million contract with Ketchum began July 1 and runs through the end of the 2010 fiscal year. Included in the contract is a management fee of $54,855, which Femling requested be split among specific staff members.
As with the previous meetings, the commissioners expressed a concern over an increase to Femling's salary since he played an integral role in contract negotiations.
"The sheriff has made a very compelling argument and we want to see people fairly compensated for the work they do," Schoen said. "None of this would have been an issue if it had been brought up at an earlier time."
Schoen said that if the raises had been specified during contract negotiations, the increases would likely have been approved. However, he said the county's policy to freeze salaries for the current budget year created an obstacle to considering increases, especially Femling's request, which averaged 9 percent for the eight employees.
"Blaine County and the state of Idaho are faced with almost unprecedented fiscal challenges," Schoen said. "The idea that extraordinary raises would be given is unacceptable."
Schoen originally suggested 3 percent increases for the six officers, but Commissioner Angenie McCleary said that, as in Femling's request, the added responsibilities differed among the officers and, therefore, they should be compensated differently.
Schoen also said the increases present a problem in that it could send a message to county department heads that it is appropriate to look for and enter contracts that fiscally benefit the county or individual staff members.
"Departments are not enterprise zones. That's not what government is about," Schoen said.
Commissioner Tom Bowman pointed out that other county employees have taken on more responsibility without increased salaries.
"I think everybody in this county deserves a raise today," Bowman said. "We'll try to get other employees fairly compensated."
After the decision, Femling asked that any amount of the management fee not used on the salary increases be refunded to the city of Ketchum so residents there know they are paying only for the contracted service. However, Schoen said the fee was initially meant to cover unknown overhead expenses, and the commission could consider Femling's proposal only after it has better information about what the contract entails.
Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com
