Relating to limits on the compensation of county supervisors

Description

House File 2518 requires a special election for voter approval of a county compensation schedule, adopted by the board of supervisors, that compensates a supervisor in excess of the county’s median household income based on the most recent U.S. Census data.

Background

Only four Iowa counties currently have supervisor salaries that exceed the median household income. Those counties are Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Story.

In the remaining counties, supervisor salaries are far enough below the median household income that it is unlikely those counties will be affected by the Bill in the next two years. If enacted, the Bill will take effect July 1, 2020, and first impact the adoption of annual county compensation schedules in FY 2021.

Assumptions

The four counties likely to be affected by HF 2518 provided the following information regarding the estimated cost of a special election:

• Johnson — $80,000
• Linn — $200,000
• Polk — $225,000 - $250,000
• Story — $85,000

The estimated fiscal impact assumes each of the four counties will maintain or increase supervisor salaries compared to the current level. However, the boards of supervisors in the four counties could choose to reduce supervisors’ salaries below the median household income to avoid special elections.County

Current

Supervisor

Salary

2018 Median

Household

Income

Salary vs.

Median

Johnson 81,864$ 61,395$ 20,469$ Linn 114,843 63,754 51,089 Polk 122,739 66,112 56,627 Story 82,665 61,381 21,284 County Supervisor Salaries Compared to the Median

Household Income

Fiscal Impact

If enacted, HF 2518 is estimated to cost Iowa counties a total of $590,000 annually to conduct the required special elections in Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Story counties.

Source

• Iowa State Association of Counties