SHAWANO, WI- Shawano County is preparing to set their wage scale for elected officials, but raised concerns at the last Executive Committee meeting.
“We would have to pick a starting salary for 2027 and then well pick the percent increase for the following years,” said Interim Administrative Coordinator Julie Hasser. “We don’t have to decide this until February.”
Hasser explained that some counties are adding elected officials into their current wage scale to make sure that employees who are underneath them are not making more money their their supervisor.
“We are probably the only county that has this,” said Sheriff George Lenzner. “My Chief Deputy makes almost $15,000 more than me this year. My Jail Administrator makes more than me, my Captain makes more than me.”
Lenzner said those are salary positions and other counties don’t have that. He also went on to explain that counties that Shawano County is being compared to, are not comparable when it looks at only population.
“We take care of more inmates, we have more employees, we have a dispatch center and not even half of the sheriff’s offices in the state take care of emergency management, and we do that.”
He said that counties that are half of the size of Shawano County are averaging more the $10,000 dollars a year more than him.
In the past, three percent increases have been made to the elected officials pay.
“This needs to change,” said Supervisor Tess Serrano. “If we don’t make the change, we are never going to get enough people in a building that we want to build. Let’s make this right and get the people where they need to be and suck it up and go.”
The idea is a 10 percent increase for the first year and at least a three percent increase for the following three years.
Figures released showed that the Sheriff in Shawano County is making $95,969.75 in 2026. The Clerk of Courts is at $71,197.26. Other positions include the County Clerk at $74,727.30 for this year with a 2.5 percent increase for the next two years. The County Treasurer is at $74,727.30 for this year with the same increase.
The committee requested Hasser to show the figures for the different increases to be presented at the next meeting.
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