Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Sheriff asks for larger salary increase



There is something to be said for experience and job knowledge
when it affects how much someone is paid.

If an employee has been on the job for several years, it
would seem rather obvious that he or she would be paid considerably more
than someone new to the position.

However, what happens when a pay increase doesn’t meet
the expectations of the personnel involved? As it pertains to Wright County
Sheriff Don Hozempa, he gets a chance to discuss the matter personally with
the Wright County Board.

At the Dec. 21 meeting of the board, the commissioners
were prepared to approve the salaries for the county’s elected officials
– sheriff, county attorney, auditor/treasurer and recorder. However, after
seeing the recommendations of the personnel committee of the whole – a committee
comprised solely of commissioners and County Coordinator Dick Norman – the
committee’s recommendation to the board (essentially a self-recommendation)
was put off.

Hozempa had asked that his salary – set to be $79,524 in
2000 – be adjusted higher because of the criteria set forth in the setting
of salaries, which include performance reviews, market considerations, experience
and qualifications.

While the salaries for the other three positions for elected
officials were approved – County Attorney Tom Kelly ($84,246), Auditor/Treasurer
Doug Gruber ($78,180) and Recorder Marcia Lantto ($65,907) – the board voted
4-1 to remove Hozempa’s salary from the resolution and agreed to hear the
matter again.

Commissioner Pat Sawatzke voted against separating the
salaries, since they had been agreed upon previously in committee.

“I thought we had gone through the criteria for this
position and set a salary that provided more than a 6 percent increase from
last year,” Sawatzke said. “I thought it had been resolved. I
can’t assume what the reasons were for pulling it off and discussing it
again, but the other four commissioners agreed to do it. I just felt that
it was something we looked at and decided on and it didn’t need to be revisited.”

The board will set Hozempa’s salary at the Dec. 28 board
meeting.

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