What will it cost?
Simply reducing Commissioner salaries fails to make up for the many additional costs these measures would incur. New support staff, increased PERS costs, larger travel & training budgets, and building retrofitting will cost taxpayers more each year than we'll save by paying our Board less.
PERS
Annual Added Cost
Each new position--two new Commissioners and necessary support staff--will incur roughly $1,800 per person in added PERS (Public Employee Retirement System) costs. Total personnel costs would go up roughly $114,000 per year.
Travel & Training
Annual Added Cost
Worker's Compensation Insurance, networking technology, travel, and other contracted services will cost an additional $212,600 every year.
Construction
One-Time Cost
New offices will have to be built to accommodate new Commissioners and added staff. Construction will cost between $300,000 and $500,000.
Total
One-Year Estimate
The total estimated cost in just the first year of a restructured County Commission ranges from $592,600 to $700,000.
Statutory Conflict
Setting Salaries by Ballot Initiative
is prohibited by Oregon law
Oregon law (ORS 204.112) requires that salaries for public bodies be set by an independent commission. The structure and responsibilities of that commission is laid out in statute.
Because salary setting is an executive function, not a legislative one, it cannot be challenged by ballot initiative. Attempting to lower commissioner salaries by ballot initiative opens the county up to lawsuits and is likely to be overturned by the courts.
In the event that salaries may not be lowered by the voters, taxpayers would be responsible for five commissioners' salaries at the current rate. This will increase annual costs even higher than current estimates.