Commissioners approve salary increases
By Buck Traxler, I-O Editor
County commissioners on Wednesday, at their regular weekly meeting moved to pass Resoution-2 which dealt with salary increases.
The County Compensation Board, in May, recommended that compensation for elected officials be up to five percent, 3.8 percent COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) and 1.2 percent raise.
Clerk and Recorder Janice Hoppes worked up several pay scale matrixes for commissioners to discuss, ranging from 3-5 percent.
Part-time elected officials will receive the pro-rated amount of the salary, Justice of the Peace 81.25 percent and Superintendent of Schools at 50 percent.
The commissioners and sheriff will also receive $2,000 annually allowed under state statues and the Superintendent of Schools will receive $200..
The resolution also covered an additional $2,000 for the clerk and recorder who serves as election administrator and the same was approved for the treasurer.
Salaries for the three commissioners will be $41,746.88 and includes an additional $2,000 per year required by state statue.
The treasurer will be paid $39,746.88 plus additional $2,000; the clerk and recorder the same; and the clerk of court will receive $39,746.88.
The sheriff/coroner will be paid $43,018.68 with an additional $2,000 required by state statue.
The deputy sheriff/coroner will receive $50 per coroner call that is less than eight hours in duration and $100 for each call that is more than eight hours in duration.
The county attorney will be paid $78,035.48 with the state reimbursing the county at a rate set by statue.
The JP will be paid $32,294.34 and the superintendent of schools $20,073.48. The public administrator, salary is based on an hourly rate of the clerk and recorders base salary.
The commissioners moved to set the hourly full-time and regular part-time employers at an increase of $.50 per hour. The road department supervisor will receive an increase in monthly salary at the rate of $.56 per hour.
The gross base wages for deputies to elected officials and sheriff’s deputies will be calculated at 95 percent for the undersheriff, 90 percent for the chief sheriff’s deputy and 86 percent for all other deputies and deputies to other elected officials.
ROAD WATERING Last week the I-O ran a story about water from pivots being on county roads. The city was doing a fine job of watering down Seventh Ave. near the Conrad Lions Swimming Pool Park. In case they missed it, spraying water on roadways increases erosion, which may lead to an increase in taxes. Eroded streets may lead to damage to vehicles and an unexpected blast of water on the windshield could cause an accident. Then again, maybe local governments dont have to play by the same rules they impose on taxpayers. I-O Photo by Buck Traxler
The County Compensation Board, in May, recommended that compensation for elected officials be up to five percent, 3.8 percent COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) and 1.2 percent raise.
Clerk and Recorder Janice Hoppes worked up several pay scale matrixes for commissioners to discuss, ranging from 3-5 percent.
Part-time elected officials will receive the pro-rated amount of the salary, Justice of the Peace 81.25 percent and Superintendent of Schools at 50 percent.
The commissioners and sheriff will also receive $2,000 annually allowed under state statues and the Superintendent of Schools will receive $200..
The resolution also covered an additional $2,000 for the clerk and recorder who serves as election administrator and the same was approved for the treasurer.
Salaries for the three commissioners will be $41,746.88 and includes an additional $2,000 per year required by state statue.
The treasurer will be paid $39,746.88 plus additional $2,000; the clerk and recorder the same; and the clerk of court will receive $39,746.88.
The sheriff/coroner will be paid $43,018.68 with an additional $2,000 required by state statue.
The deputy sheriff/coroner will receive $50 per coroner call that is less than eight hours in duration and $100 for each call that is more than eight hours in duration.
The county attorney will be paid $78,035.48 with the state reimbursing the county at a rate set by statue.
The JP will be paid $32,294.34 and the superintendent of schools $20,073.48. The public administrator, salary is based on an hourly rate of the clerk and recorders base salary.
The commissioners moved to set the hourly full-time and regular part-time employers at an increase of $.50 per hour. The road department supervisor will receive an increase in monthly salary at the rate of $.56 per hour.
The gross base wages for deputies to elected officials and sheriff’s deputies will be calculated at 95 percent for the undersheriff, 90 percent for the chief sheriff’s deputy and 86 percent for all other deputies and deputies to other elected officials.
NNO set for Aug. 4
The National Night Out (NNO), slated for Aug. 4 in the Conrad Lions Swimming Pool Park promises to be a fun activity with something for just about everyone.
The activity, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce begins at 4 p.m. and goes to 9 p.m.
This is the first NNO for Conrad although the program has been going on for 26 years, nationwide.
In a nutshell, it is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and help build law enforcement-community partnerships.
Live demonstrations from local, state and federal agents are planned. On hand will be the Border Patrol canine unit, a crime lab unit, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the MHP crash simulator, not to mention a helicopter that will be landing in the park.
Just a part of the fun events will be a jolly jumper, a dunking booth, live entrainment, an egg toss, a 3-legged sack race and if you want to get a team together, a tug-of-war and much more.
The dunking booth will start about 6 p.m. and some of the ‘dunkees’ include Mayor John Shevlin, Rob Cook of ITB, Jamey Byrnes IGA and CofC president, commissioners Sandy Broesder and Cyndi Johnson, Gary Dent, CHS principal Ken Larson and Jodi Fowler.
There will be a ‘front of the line’ auction at the dunking booth, giving you a chance at first shot to dunk your favorite buddy.
For your eating pleasure the first-time event will have hamburgers, hot dogs, snow cones and other assorted eats that will be available.
Entertainers will include the fabulous Nicole Lindberg and toe-tapping Old Time Fiddlers and more.
And just for fun, the clown prince of Pondera County, Zane Drishinski will be here along with Ernie the Kibler Elf, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Teddy Graham Bear.
This is a family event you won’t want to miss. For more information or to ask questions, contact Chief Gary Dent at 271-5723.
The activity, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce begins at 4 p.m. and goes to 9 p.m.
This is the first NNO for Conrad although the program has been going on for 26 years, nationwide.
In a nutshell, it is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and help build law enforcement-community partnerships.
Live demonstrations from local, state and federal agents are planned. On hand will be the Border Patrol canine unit, a crime lab unit, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the MHP crash simulator, not to mention a helicopter that will be landing in the park.
Just a part of the fun events will be a jolly jumper, a dunking booth, live entrainment, an egg toss, a 3-legged sack race and if you want to get a team together, a tug-of-war and much more.
The dunking booth will start about 6 p.m. and some of the ‘dunkees’ include Mayor John Shevlin, Rob Cook of ITB, Jamey Byrnes IGA and CofC president, commissioners Sandy Broesder and Cyndi Johnson, Gary Dent, CHS principal Ken Larson and Jodi Fowler.
There will be a ‘front of the line’ auction at the dunking booth, giving you a chance at first shot to dunk your favorite buddy.
For your eating pleasure the first-time event will have hamburgers, hot dogs, snow cones and other assorted eats that will be available.
Entertainers will include the fabulous Nicole Lindberg and toe-tapping Old Time Fiddlers and more.
And just for fun, the clown prince of Pondera County, Zane Drishinski will be here along with Ernie the Kibler Elf, McGruff the Crime Dog, and Teddy Graham Bear.
This is a family event you won’t want to miss. For more information or to ask questions, contact Chief Gary Dent at 271-5723.
Regional Economic Diversification
By Adam Jerome, I-O Reporter
On July 22 the Great Falls Development Authority met to present the initial rollout of the Diversification Project Strategy Report.
This project was initiated as the result of the loss of the 564th Missile Squadron on Malmstrom Air Force Base in July of 2007.
As part of proactive strategy development, local leadership realized the need to look further at economic diversification to truly offset impacts from the loss of the 564th squadron. Cascade County applied for funding on behalf of the affected areas to conduct a regional economic diversification project that would quantify the economic impacts of the 50 missiles that were lost.
The counties affected include Pondera, Cascade, Glacier, Teton, and Toole with the communities of Conrad, Cut Bank, Choteau, Browning, Great Falls, Shelby and Valier all being labeled as the Sweet Grass area.
When the Malmstrom Air Force Base 564th squadron was eliminated that meant that the Sweet Grass area lost 50 missiles and 550 personnel.
After the removal a bigger tax burden was created on the citizens of the Sweet Grass area, because the government quit paying for county roads leading to the missile sites.
Another impact came through economic losses as well. It is estimated that the counties involved lost over $32 million. Over $20 was lost as direct payroll. School funding has also been affected due to the loss in tax base.
With that much lost money in the Sweet Grass area the Great Falls Development Authority hired the Praxis Strategy Group (PSG) to assess the advantages and disadvantages in the economic sector while also looking at the area overall population demographic.
Since 2003 these counties have lost around one percent of their population. When examined further PSG found that the lowest percentage of people in the area are in the crucial 20-39 age range. These people tend to be the majority of your workforce.
PSG discovered that the biggest employers in the region are in government, trade, transportation, and utilities.
After looking at the basic demographics of the area they began to look at the regional workforce. Over 62 percent of the workforce has some education or training beyond high school, 22 percent have an undergraduate degree, and eight percent have a post graduate degree of some kind.
Joe Briggs ~ Cascade County Commissioner
This project was initiated as the result of the loss of the 564th Missile Squadron on Malmstrom Air Force Base in July of 2007.
As part of proactive strategy development, local leadership realized the need to look further at economic diversification to truly offset impacts from the loss of the 564th squadron. Cascade County applied for funding on behalf of the affected areas to conduct a regional economic diversification project that would quantify the economic impacts of the 50 missiles that were lost.
The counties affected include Pondera, Cascade, Glacier, Teton, and Toole with the communities of Conrad, Cut Bank, Choteau, Browning, Great Falls, Shelby and Valier all being labeled as the Sweet Grass area.
When the Malmstrom Air Force Base 564th squadron was eliminated that meant that the Sweet Grass area lost 50 missiles and 550 personnel.
After the removal a bigger tax burden was created on the citizens of the Sweet Grass area, because the government quit paying for county roads leading to the missile sites.
Another impact came through economic losses as well. It is estimated that the counties involved lost over $32 million. Over $20 was lost as direct payroll. School funding has also been affected due to the loss in tax base.
With that much lost money in the Sweet Grass area the Great Falls Development Authority hired the Praxis Strategy Group (PSG) to assess the advantages and disadvantages in the economic sector while also looking at the area overall population demographic.
Since 2003 these counties have lost around one percent of their population. When examined further PSG found that the lowest percentage of people in the area are in the crucial 20-39 age range. These people tend to be the majority of your workforce.
PSG discovered that the biggest employers in the region are in government, trade, transportation, and utilities.
After looking at the basic demographics of the area they began to look at the regional workforce. Over 62 percent of the workforce has some education or training beyond high school, 22 percent have an undergraduate degree, and eight percent have a post graduate degree of some kind.