The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners approved some dramatic salary increases this month, with their yearly salaries going up by 60% and their per diems — one-time payments for attending meetings — going up by over 70%.
On the one hand, a pay increase may have been long overdue, as the salaries have remained static since 1999 while the U.S. dollar inflated over 25 years. However, it would be easier for the board of commissioners to justify these increases if they had met with more success in recent months.
At the beginning of the year, board Chairman Ty Wessell identified the board’s most immediate goals as the full transition of financial responsibilities for the county to the troubled finance department and addressing the underlying issues that have caused all departments to lose personnel. Although there is plenty of time before November, the board has not yet arrived at a solution to either problem.
