A salary study for county employees will be conducted by the Berrien County Board of Commissioners following a Thursday meeting. The board voted to proceed with the study proposed by Commissioner Jeanette Leahey. She told WSJM News it would be helpful to know how the county pays versus competitors to find out if Berrien County loses strong workers due to inadequate pay.
“I’m sure that’s always a possibility,” Leahey said. “Maybe it’s not the whole story, but those things do occur.”
Leahey tells us it’s been 20 years since the last county salary study.
“It’s something that has to be done,” Leahey said. “Most businesses do this so it’s something to be expected. I think it’s going to be a good thing.”
The only No vote came from Commissioner Dave Volrath, who was concerned about the study’s cost and, as he put it, “unintended consequences.” The study will run between $50,000 and $100,000. It will only look at non-union, non-elected, and non-road department staff.
