Citing the need to keep and attract good employees, the Barton County Commission Monday morning approved pay increases for county employees. The raises amount to roughly 4 percent.
 Generally, hourly employees will receive a 75 cent per hour increase and salaried personnel and elected officials will receive a $1,560 annual increase. These will be effective Jan. 12, 2015.
“We’ve had a problem over the past two years with turnover of experienced employees,” County Administrator Richard Boeckman said. The problem being that the county needed to be more competitive with salaries.
It’s expensive to hire and train new personnel, he said. And, with the county’s unemployment rate under 3 percent, it can be difficult to find new people.
There are some raises that are higher.
To establish a more competitive salaries, Road and Bridge/Noxious Weed/Memorial Parks Director Dale Phillips and Sheriff Brian Bellendir will receive a $5,000 increase. Barton County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputies will get a $1.75-per-hour raise and BCSO detention officers will get a $1.50 raise.
There was one exception. There was no increase for the county treasurer.
“In the long run, this is good for the county,” said Commission Chairman Kenny Schremmer. “This is to try to protect those we already have and to get good replacements. This is why we did this.”
Money for the increases was included in the 2015 operating budget.