Woodbury County elected officials could receive pay raises from 4 to 7 percent in the next fiscal year.
The fiscal year 2027 budget for county government must be set by April, and back in February a special panel recommended raises of up to 7 percent, with the amounts differing based upon position.
That entity, the Woodbury County Compensation Board, recommended 4 percent raises for the five county supervisors.
Additionally the compensation board recommended a 4.5 percent raise for Auditor Michelle Skaff and Treasurer Tina Bertrand, plus 6.5 percent for Attorney James Loomis and 7 percent for Sheriff Chad Sheehan.
On Thursday, the county auditor reported the current salaries for the supervisors are $41,967. Skaff makes $113,832, Bertrand $113,830, Loomis has a salary of $169,146 and Sheehan is paid $178,110.
Compensation boards for decades have been the means for determining pay for county elected officials across Iowa. After the comp boards make recommendations, the supervisors can accept or reduce those amounts.
Any decisions on the pay rates for county elected officials, other county employees and all other aspects of the budget, will not be fully set until the supervisors vote on the entire budget later on April 28.
The 2026-27 budget is currently projected to have the same county property tax levy for people living in towns as in this year, which is $7.11 per $1,000 of taxable property valuation.
In February 2025, the Woodbury County Supervisors said they planned to take no raises to their pay.
Woodbury County is the seventh largest Iowa county in terms of population. THe current pay for county supervisors ranks 41st in Iowa, a board memo says.
