Powder River Examiner -

You hear the conversation while leaning against the counter at the coffee shops, sitting around the breakfast table, bellied up to the bar, or browsing Facebook. An ongoing conversation about the Powder River County Commissioners’ salaries has been on the lips of community members, across the county. The optics on the salary issue, as many see it, is that while some county departments have been asked to look for ways to cut their budgets and limit spending, the Commissioner salaries have remained full time, including a benefit package including health care and retirement.

Meanwhile, a collective fervor seems to be growing, which seeks to change the Commissioners salary to part-time or per-diem, as many other Montana counties with similar populations to ours pay their Commissioners.

While the matter is, as always, more complicated than seen from the surface, the salary issue is one of great debate throughout the community, and one which warranted investigation. The Examiner, along with a small research group of concerned citizens, looked into the matter; here’s what we found.

The PR Commissioners regular schedule is to work every Monday, from 8AM to 5PM, Tuesday on the first full week of the month, from 9AM to 3 PM, and the last working day of the month, when they go over invoices.

In looking back over the 2017 Commissioner’s Minutes, published in The Examiner throughout the year, the Commissioners met for an average 6 days per month, while some months individual Commissioners went to MACo meetings. MACo is the Montana Association of Counties, the organization which provides education and guidance to Montana counties.

In total for the year, the Commissioners officially met 73 days in the office, when minutes were kept. With absences and additional time spent in MACo meetings, the combined average for the three Commissioners came out to right at 73 days worked, per person. This came out to 548 hours officially spent in the office, in 2017.

In Powder River County, the Commissioners’ wages are based off the County Clerk and Recorders wage, which comes out to $43,368 per year. Though the Clerk and Recorder and County Commissioner positions are elected and don’t work “per hour”, when broken down in such a manner, the results are enlightening.

A normal full-time worker is paid for 2080 hours of work, per year, which means based on a full-time schedule, the Clerk and Recorder is making $20.85 per hour. Each Commissioner, officially working 548 hours per year, is making $79.14 per hour.

An additional caveat to the number of hours worked is that according to the 2017 minutes, on 13 separate days, at least one of the Commissioners left work early. Such as, on September 31, 2017, Rod Schaffer left at Noon.

On six of those thirteen days, two Commissioners left early. For example, on October 23, 2017, Darold Zimmer left at Noon, and Donna Giacommetto left at 3:15 PM.

In speaking to the County Commissioners about the issue of hours worked, Darold mentioned that he comes in nearly every day to the office, which doesn’t show up on the minutes. Donna also said that she spends a number of extra days in the office. The Examiner can confirm seeing them in their office on non-scheduled workdays.

Donna also said that she spent eight days on the road for MACo meetings in 2017, which required travel across the state.

All three Commissioners spoke of the extra time spent doing Commissioner work outside of the office. For example, fielding questions while out on the town, or speaking to concerned citizens via long phone calls, in the evenings.

“We’re on call, 24/7,” Darold proclaimed.

When asked if any of the Commissioners had kept track of the time spent fielding phone calls and other such work, neither Darold nor Rod had written down their hours. Donna mentioned that she used to keep track, her records showing that she worked full time on some weeks, but she does not currently keep track of all calls and other time spent on commissioner duty away from the office.

When asked about the public talks about the Commissioners’ wage, Darold mentioned that a statute allows them to take an extra $2000, on top of their wages, but they have never done so. Montana Code 7-4-2107 explains that each member of the board shall receive a salary equal to the Clerk and Recorder, plus $2000.

An additional point brought up was that of mileage. According to the trio, they are able to claim mileage and be paid for mileage to and from work, but do not take it. “We go out and drive the county roads to check on things, and don’t charge mileage,” Rod said.

Last summer, Donna did take mileage to and from her home, during the months when she was not driving school bus.

The subject of other county’s Commissioners salaries was brought up, and how many counties pay part time. The response was that many other counties have a Human Resources person, as well as at least one secretary, if not one secretary per commissioner. They also mentioned that having a county funded nursing home – Powder River Manor, makes for additional responsibilities other counties may not have.

In researching these claims, calls were made to the eight Montana counties with populations larger than Powder River County’s, as well as the eight counties with populations less than ours. This accounted for every county in Montana with a population of 3,665 people, or fewer.

Of all those 16 counties, only two, Sweet Grass County (Big Timber), and Fallon County (Baker), pay their commissioners full-time, the rest are part time or per diem.

Sweet Grass County has a population of 3,665, and a 2018 taxable valuation of around $19 million, while Fallon County has 3,108 residents, and a valuation of $44 million (oil money).

In comparison, Powder River County has 1,783 residents, and a taxable valuation just over $15 million. This puts our cost per commissioner at the second highest in the state, out of all 56 counties, at $72.97 per citizen.

Our neighbors in Carter County, who pay their commissioners 56% of other elected official’s salary, only pay $45.44 per citizen. McCone County (Circle) has a very similar population to PR County, paying part-time to its commissioners, and costing $37.27 per citizen.

When speaking to the Commissioners, the subject of large tracts of US Forest Service lands within the county was brought up, and the difficulties in dealing with Federal entities regarding these lands. While Powder River County has a large tract of Custer National Forest property within its boundaries, Judith Basin County (Stanford), and Granite County (Philipsburg) also have large portions of National Forest lands, and pay part time to their commissioners.

Going back to the 16 county list, four on the list have a minute taker, but no distinct secretary. Only three counties on the list, each having around twice our population have Human Resources people – that is, Sweet Grass, Granite (Philipsburg), and Fallon counties. Four other counties said the Clerk & Recorder handles HR work, one of those was Carter County.

Perhaps the most telling part of this research came from talking to the people in the 16 counties while gathering this information; many whom provided the information were the Clerk and Recorder. When asked whether a part-time commissioner setup was working, nearly all replied in the affirmative. The respondent in Scobey said that part time is “Fine enough. Not enough to do if they were full time.”

One difference seen between PR County and these 16 counties is that most lack a county funded nursing home, which was a point brought up by our commissioners. Garfield County (Jordan) has a facility similar to ours, and pays their commissioners part-time. PR County also has a staff at PR Manor to handle most nursing home affairs, with the director, Cherie Stachey, meeting once a week with the Commissioners to discuss matters at the Manor.

Returning to the conversation with the Commissioners, the question came up of talk around the community to try and change the Commissioner salary to part time, with the group saying they had researched the matter after an earlier push to bring about a petition to change to part-time.

The Commissioners said that to change to part time, it would need to go through the Local Government Study Commission. This group was put together in 2014 to study different forms of government which the county could potentially use, for example the charter government model, or several forms of commissioner based systems, one of which our current system is based on. Another study commission is expected to come together seven years from now.

Rod said that if such a wage change would take place in seven years, that he wouldn’t be against it, with the others seeming to agree on the matter.

In researching the Local Government Study Commission, The Examiner found that while it would likely be possible to change the Commissioners’ wages through such a process, a much simpler process would expedite the matter. Under subsection 2 of the same Montana Code cited earlier, the following is written: (2) Each board may elect to serve on a part-time rather than a full-time basis and receive part-time annual salaries based on the annual salary established in 7-4-2503(1)(a) for the clerk and recorder.

According to this statute, the Commissioners could adjust their pay to part time. In an email from MACo Director Eric Bryson, he confirmed that the Commissioners could change their compensation, noting that a resolution and public hearing would be the steps in order to make the change happen.

Bryson also wrote that he would recommend making such a change prior to the opening filing date so candidates know the expectations and compensation when running for office.

Since the filing dates for the upcoming election have already passed, if the Commissioners were to pass such a vote this year, it would mean whomever is elected would be going into the job with the change in pay (or going back into the job, if Darold Zimmer is re-elected). Lee Randall and Don McDowell are the other two candidates. In interviews published in last week’s Examiner, Randall spoke in favor of the change to part-time, while McDowell and Zimmer were in favor of staying with the full-time system.

If the Commissioners decide to bring the change in pay up for a vote, it could be implemented by a simple 2-1 vote from the Commissioners themselves, and it could happen anytime.

Such a change would not affect any other elected officials – only the County Commissioners.

The details of the pay change, such as whether the Commissioners would be paid 50% part time, on a per diem basis, or something else entirely, as well as whether or not insurance would be included, and if they would take the $2000 a person as mentioned in statute, would all be something dealt with when and if a decision to change is made. First, the Commissioners would need to bring the pay change up for a vote, and it would need to pass. The ball is in the Commissioners’ court.