Council backs 3% across‑the‑board proposal; park board sought 6% for superintendent

At the Sept. 18 meeting the Chair said the draft budget under consideration would include a 3% pay increase for county employees, while the park board reported it had approved a 6% raise for its superintendent at a prior workshop.

“We're gonna try for 3% raises across the board,” the Chair said. Park board representatives pointed to fee revenue and new events at Bass Lake Beach as reasons for the higher increase and asked council members to consider the unique revenue stream that supports park operations rather than general fund taxes. One park board member said their money is generated by fees, not tax dollars, and urged the council to consider that context when evaluating any additional raises.

Council members asked staff to provide more information on summer and off‑season programming, grants the park board pursues, and metrics used to justify the 6% figure so the council could evaluate consistency with county salary guidance. No salary ordinance was adopted at the discussion; members said any final decision on the salary ordinance would be made later and must follow proper budget adoption procedures.