The McLeod County Board approved changes to a handful of pay grades and titles at its meeting Tuesday morning.
"I don't do this lightly," said Vice Chair Doug Krueger. "In order to hold retention and keep good workers, it's a situation where we have to do (it). It's the way life works in order to keep good employees."
The changes are part of a recent effort to promote more cross training between departments, and structure roles with more responsibilities to limit staffing needs in the future. The county has in recent years moved toward merging departments as part of this effort.
Earlier this year, McLeod County Planning, Zoning and Environmental Services merged with the Solid Waste department. In 2017, the county merged Planning and Zoning and Environmental Services. It also merged Parks and Fairgrounds with the Highway Department to create the Public Works office.
Listed below are changes made Tuesday to grade levels, which reflect the wage and benefit range of various roles. Hourly wages listed reflect starting pay within the grade:
- The assistant attorney position went from 180 ($25.45 per hour) to 220 ($32.80 per hour). This position was re-evaluated after an updated job description was completed to assure that it had proper grading and it was found to have a higher rating than previously assigned.
- The public health agency coordinator position was changed to director of public health. The role has been vacant since April 2018 and has been restructured with a new description and role. The previous position was a 240 ($36.45 per hour) and the updated position is a 250 ($38.30 per hour).
- The solid waste coordinator position is now called the assistant director of environmental services because solid waste was merged with environmental services. The rating stayed at 190 ($27.30 per hour).
- The child support lead worker position is a newly created position to replace other child support roles. It is rated at 160 ($21.80 per hour). Child support workers who are not lead workers are rated at 150. The department is not adding hours to its payroll to fill the position.
- The Chief Deputy II position in the auditor-treasurer’s office is a title and responsibility change designed to accommodate restructuring with the finance department. The previous position was at a 190 ($27.30 per hour), as is the new position.
