Flathead County employees to get pay raise

The Flathead County commissioners gave themselves and other elected county officials a 1.3 percent cost-of-living pay raise on Monday, effective when the new fiscal year begins July 1.

A comparable cost-of-living adjustment will be given to most other county employees. Employees who have worked for Flathead County five years or longer will get an additional 0.5 percent longevity pay increase, according to county Administrator Mike Pence.

The same pay raises will be applied to employees represented by the various labor unions representing county workers, Pence said. Wages for solid-waste operators currently are under negotiation at that union’s request, he added.

Sheriff’s deputies will get the 1.3 percent cost-of-living raise plus an additional 1 percent, based on state law regarding public safety employees, Pence said.

The county Compensation Board met last week to make its recommendation, which is based on the Consumer Price Index.

Elected officials’ salaries will increase to the following level:

Clerk of District Court: $69,762

County Treasurer/Assessor: $69,762

Justice of the Peace, Dept. 1: $79,971

Justice of the Peace, Dept. 2: $88,368

Clerk/Recorder/Surveyor: $69,762

County Commissioners: $69,762

Sheriff/Coroner: $99,785

Superintendent of Schools: $69,762

County Attorney: $107,858

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.