BOCC discusses wage study

WALLACE –– Shoshone County officials are exploring their options for an employee-wide wage study.

Earlier this week, the Shoshone Board of County Commissioners reviewed a $26,000 proposal from Meridian-based consulting firm AmeriBen. 

Commissioner Tracy Casady explained to the rest of the board that AmeriBen had been recommended by commissioners from several other counties who have performed similar studies – but they would still need to seek out other bids before they made any decision. 

The wage study is part of a long-term promise that the BOCC made last summer as they attempted to complete and pass their annual budget. 

The hope is that the study will help the county ensure that they are in line with other like-sized counties throughout the state in terms of pay for their employees. 

The previous board had allowed departments to create their own pay scales, including amounts and frequencies for raises – but they had to be approved by the board. 

The county roads department and the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office were two of the departments that completed this process – but with several departments unable to accomplish this, it led to further disparity in pay among the various departments.

“This is something that I would like to see completed and have been pushing for since I was appointed to office,” Casady said. “The county must remain consistent across the board and avoid any biases. We must hold fair pay standards. Having this study done within Idaho and in direct comparison to other counties like our size and operations will help us achieve that goal and stay within the competitive job market today.” 

Casady also brought up the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and how the study will consider more than just base wages, but also each position’s scope of responsibility, level of skill required, working conditions, benefits, and longevity. 

Casady has had discussions with representatives from AmeriBen, who told her that the $26,000 proposal could go lower if the county can proactively help the study through different in-house measures, including gathering relevant information from the Idaho Association of Counties, and participating in online meetings instead of incurring travel expenses for face to face meetings. 

According to Commissioner Dave Dose, the wage study will be paid for using LATCF funds as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, commonly known as ARPA. 

“We’re going to commit to a long-range promise that no one has seemingly been able to keep,” Dose previously stated. “We think that a study will be the best way for us to protect our employees.” 

The county plans to seek out at least two more proposals to ensure they’re getting the most competitive bid for their study.