County sets pay increases for elected officials

McCOOK, Neb. - Elected officials in Red Willow County will receive a 3.5% annual wage increase, beginning in 2027. That figure was negotiated up from 2.5% as agreed during the budgeting process. The change resulted from a much higher increase recommended by the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO).

Crystal Dack, Lori O’Dea, and Lori Stevens joined the Board to request an amendment to the resolution setting elected officials’ salaries for the 2027–2030 term. In an earlier meeting, the board set an annual increase of 2.5%, resulting in a cumulative increase of 10.38% over the four-year period.

Guidance from the NACO recommended increases of upward of 19% to 28% over the next four years. With those recommendations in mind, Dack, O’Dea and Stevens asked the board to consider a 4.5% increase for each of the next four years, for a total cumulative increase of 19.25%.

After a lengthy discussion of elected officials’ workloads, fringe benefits such as holidays and insurance, and the likely impact on pay expectations among other county employees, a motion was made by Dean, seconded by Fritsche, to amend the resolution to reflect a 3.5% annual increase, for a cumulative 17.5% over the term. The increase was passed on a 3-0 vote.

All of that took place when the Red Willow County Board of Commissioners met Monday morning at the courthouse, where commissioners called the meeting to order, approved the agenda and reviewed payables.

No one appeared before the board to offer public comments.

Under the consent agenda, commissioners approved the minutes from the previous Board of Commissioners and Board of Equalization meetings and approved accounts payable claims. The board reappointed Mike Eklund and Mike Skolout to the Hillcrest Nursing Home Board, with terms set to expire Dec. 31, 2031. Two gooseneck trailers belonging to the Visitors Bureau were declared surplus and commissioners set Jan. 26, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. as the date and time for a public hearing to amend the county budget. Additional equipment from the waste department and District 3 was declared surplus.

The board approved the consent agenda on a 3-0 vote.

The Board of Equalization convened shortly afterward, when County Assessor Lori Stevens presented a 2025 tax roll correction for Booe Machinery & Salvage, which decreased the tax rolls by $11,081.06.

County Treasurer Crystal Dack also presented motor vehicle exemption renewals from:

-Peace Lutheran Church

-YMCA of McCook

-Evangelical Free Church

-Community Action Partnership

-Willow Christian Church

-McCook Christian Church

Both measures were approved unanimously.

The Board of Commissioners reconvened at 9:30 a.m., with Chairman Ted Gans calling the meeting to order and asking the board to elect a chairman pro tem to conduct the annual reorganization.

The board appointed county clerk Penny Cooper as chairman pro tem, who assumed control of the meeting for the election of officers.

As part of the annual reorganization, the board reelected a chairman, Ted Gans and vice chairman Randy Dean of the Board of Commissioners and approved the delegation of authority to the vice chairman in the chairman’s absence.

The board then elected a chairman, Randy Dean, and vice chairman, Ted Gans of the Board of Equalization and approved the same delegation of authority.

Commissioners next elected a chairman, Charles Fritsche, and a vice chairman, Randy Dean, of the Noxious Weed Control Authority, and approved the delegation of authority to the vice chairman as needed.

Appointments were made to the county’s standing committees and boards. In a series of motions, the board appointed members to act as representatives to the following committees:

-RC & D Board, Dean

-Region II Governing Board, Dean

-Hillcrest Nursing Home Board, Dean

-Veterans’ Service Committee, Fritsche

-County Visitors’ Committee, Fritsche

-Fair Board, Gans

-County Health Board, Gans

-Planning Commission, Dean

-Board of trustees of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, Inc., Gans and the REWARD board of directors, Fritsche.

In a separate motion, the commissioners added McCook Economic Development Corp (MEDC) to the list and appointed Dean as well as the Nebraska County Extension with Fritsche as the county’s representatives.

In a series of separate motions, the board

-renewed the contract with Miller & Associates to serve as county road superintendent for 2026.

-Reappointed Kevin Darling as emergency manager for the 2026 calendar year.

-Reappointed Michael Simmonds as veterans service officer for 2026.

-Reappointed Brandy Bird as county health director for 2026.

-Reappoint Billie Cole as county waste director for 2026.

-Sonya Prentice was not reappointed as noxious weed superintendent due to outstanding continuing education requirements. The position will be advertised in the Gazette.

The board then designated the McCook Gazette as the official county newspaper and approved the County website as an alternate method for providing legal notice of emergency meetings.

Commissioners adopted Resolution 1586, Book 24, Page 93, designating banks to serve as county depositories for the 2026 calendar year. Those included

MNB Bank in McCook, Union Bank and Trust in Lincoln, Nebraska, Pinnacle Bank in McCook, Nebraska, Premier Bank, N.A. in Omaha, Nebraska and Henderson State Bank in McCook, Nebraska and this also authorized investments of Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust (NPAIT).

Under correspondence, the board acknowledged a Notice of Appeal from Dale Dueland filed with the Tax Equalization and Review Commission. Commissioners also received continuing education information from the Nebraska Association of County Officials for Noxious Weed Superintendent Sonya Prentice. The board received the 2025 bridge inspection report from Miller & Associates.

Before adjourning, the commissioners also reviewed the district court clerk’s monthly revenue report. No action was taken.