Meeting link

By Jim Magdefrau

VINTON – Budget work continued for the Benton County Board of Supervisors at their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2026, as they stressed having no pay raises for the next fiscal year. The meeting was at the Benton County Service Center Conference Room in Vinton.

The supervisors recently approved no pay increases for elected officials, as well was other officials. They acknowledged the pay increases already approved in multi-year contracts with the sheriff’s employees and secondary roads.

Tuesday’s meeting included presentations from the recorder’s office, conservation and IRVM (integrated roadside vegetation maintenance).

Supervisor Bruce Volz participated over speaker phone.

Budget presentations

Lexa Speidel presented the recorder’s budget. She gave a summary of activity for her office. The office brought in $210,325.74 for 2025 fiscal year. So far this year they’ve taken in $17,581.37. She was going to give one of her deputies a raise, but wanted to be respectful of the supervisors’ decision for everybody to have zero this year. In the future, she believes she should get a raise. She added that she kept everything the same for the next fiscal year. 

Shelby Williams presented the proposed budgets for IRVM and conservation. She opened her conservation presentation on economic impact, stating for every $1 invested in county conservation, the economy received $10 in output. She said this is a substantial return on investment.

She gave a listing of projects for this year. Camping is a bit down from the last two years, but revenue is holding the same, with more park usage during the day. 

Supervisor Chairman Tracy Seeman asked what was planned for engineering, having budgeted $20,000 for this. She said this goes to surveys and projects such as an enclosed shelter, bridge crossing and bridge replacements. 

She has a total decrease of $18,000 in general and supplemental. They hope to save $50,000 for upcoming big projects, such as an enclosed shelter.

Seeman observed that according to the budget, her wages will remain the same, but everybody else’s is going up. He wanted zero increases. Williams countered that wages will go down since they decreased offered wages for new employees. 

Supervisor Ron Tippett said, “If we allow you to give your employees a raise,

it’s going to make it rough on everybody else.”

Williams said, “I completely and totally respect and understand that.”

Tippett stressed, “You need to reward employees for doing good work. I am 100 percent behind that, but right now it’s just going to be difficult.”

Volz observed, “If we can find room in our budget to increase the employees’ wages, then those cuts should probably have been already made to the budget.”

“The whole deal is we said zero raises,” Seeman told Williams. Williams said it was also stated multiple times to keep the budget as it is for the bottom dollar.

Tippett said it was his opinion that they need to back and remove the raises. He added there are two departments that are going to get raises because of union contracts. “We have written a letter requesting them to go outside of the contract. I don’t foresee that happening.” 

Seeman emphasized he’s been saying no raises to make it fair for all county employees. 

Volz talked about being fair. He stated, “I would love to see everybody get a raise.”

He said everybody works very hard. They have an employment package that is wonderful. He concluded, “The term I like to use is ‘consistent.’ Are we going to be consistent with every department that doesn’t have a contractual raise? And if we’re going to remain consistent then we have to say no raises.”

Seeman asked Williams, “I think you’re catching our drift, ain’t you?” She replied, “You guys would prefer to see no raises. I got that.”

Other business

Treasurer Melinda Schoettmer updated the board on her office being closed on April 15 due to training. The Department of Transportation is doing hands-on fraud training, looking at birth certificates and titles, Schoettmer said. 

They also approved the semi-annual report.

The board rescinded the appointment of the Big Grove Clerk and Trustee, and appointed a new clerk and trustee. Appointed were Randy Janssen as trustee and Catherine Janssen as clerk.

Quarterly reports were approved for the auditor, sheriff and recorder. 

The board met with Engineer Myron Parizek, and approved 10 days of vacation carryover for him. They also approved hiring a new office manager and accepted bids on a motor grader. Parizek recommended a Caterpillar 150 tandem with a seven-year 7,000 hours warranty for $369,811 from Altorfer, which was approved by the board. It will be here by July 1. Deere had a bid of $392,000 from Martin Equipment.

Seventeen applications have been received for office manager at the engineer’s office. Five people were interviewed. Parizek recommended Barbara Norton to fill the position with a salary of $47,500. Her performance will be evaluated after six months and one year with a potential $1,000 increase each time. 

Steve Runyan was appointed to the land use adjustment board.

Ryan Bervin of Assured Partners met with the board regarding health, dental and vision insurance renewal for next year.

The meeting closed with a discussion of snow removal on county property when snow occurs on a weekend.