In a tight vote, the Cole County Commission approved a pay increase for some Cole County Public Works Department employees Tuesday night, despite one county leader raising concerns about the measure.
In a 2-1 vote, the commission approved raises that cost a total of $96,919. Public Works Director Eric Landwehr asked for the raises, arguing it's necessary for the department to stay competitive to hire workers.
The raises are not the same for each employee, the Jefferson City News Tribune reports. The positions most impacted are equipment operators and mechanics, Landwehr said. Twenty-one equipment operators received an average salary bump of $3,131. Two mechanics received an average raise of $6.595. The commission set aside money for the raises in its 2025 budget, passed earlier this month.
The raise comes as many local governments struggle to fill job openings. Earlier this month, the Cole County Commission approved a raise for all county employees as part of its 2025 budget. The budget included a 2.2% cost of living increase and a $500 raise for most employees, KJLU 88.9 FM reports.
Additionally, just last week the commission approved a $7,000 pay increase for the Health Department's six nurses. The Public Works Department hasn't struggled with the same staffing shortages that plague other public agencies. Right now it only has two openings, Landwehr said. Even so, the department is always competing with other employers.
"It really never ends. We've always got to make sure we're keeping pace with other similar departments," Landwehr said. "Where we ended up, we kind of ended up in the middle."
The starting salary for an equipment operator is now $38,000, up from $33,280 the year before. That's slightly above the salary for the same position in Boone County and Jefferson City, according to data provided by the department. However, it's below the Missouri Department of Transportation's starting salary of $40,948.
Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman and Western District Commissioner Harry Otto voted in favor of the raise. Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher voted against it.
Hoelscher told KOMU 8 he isn't against pay raises but raised concerns about the proposal. In 2023, the commission approved a salary scale that boosted wages for Public Works employees. The longer employees stay with the department, the more they get paid.
Hoelscher said he would have been in favor of raising wages for entry-level positions. There were significant pay increases for mid-level positions that could have been scaled back, Hoelscher said.
"We've got great employees and they deserve what they're getting," Hoelscher said. "...But we've got a lot of other employees across the countywide that need to be addressed as well."
Landwehr and Hoelscher emphasized they have a good working relationship. Discussion — and disagreement — are just part of the job, they said.
"We do work for the taxpayers," Landwehr said. "Any time you bring a proposal to increase salaries, it's always going to create some conversation."\
