About 145 nonunion county employees will receive a 2.5% pay increase.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel at Wednesday's county salary board meeting made a motion to give the nonunion employees a 2.75% increase, which would cost the county about $213,000 annually.

Leslie Osche, commissioners chairwoman, said according to county policy, she looked at the Employment Cost Index and found state and local government employee raises range from 2.5% to 2.8% depending on the position.

“In my opinion, 2.75% is fair,” Osche said.

Boozel said seven employees are at their maximum pay rate, according to the county's compensation policy, and 14 more will hit the maximum.

If the raise were 3%, 17 workers would be at their salary maximum.

“I'm making sure our employees are in a range that is acceptable with the private market,” Boozel said.

He also said a 2.75% increase would bring up the wages of those on the lower end of the pay scale.

But Ben Holland, county controller, said he studied the economy and a recession is looming.

“Society at large has its blinders on,” Holland said.

He said white collar workers would weather a recession better than blue collar workers.

“That clash, combined with political discord, could spell disaster,” Holland said.

In light of those facts, Holland recommended a 2.5% increase for the county's nonunion workers.

Holland said a 2.5% increase is supported by the Employment Cost Index.

Commissioner Kim Geyer said she thought the nonunion increase would be 2.5%, which is the amount on which the collective bargaining contracts are based.

She said the lower rate might be a better idea in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

“There are a lot of moving variables right now,” Geyer said. “Because of the economy and because of people losing their jobs, I was thinking the 2.5%.”

She added that the county budget still contains unknown variables because the county has not yet received its full state funding amount.

Boozel said he understood the points of Geyer and Holland, and changed his motion to a 2.5% increase.

That amount will cost the county about $195,000 annually.

The salary board voted unanimously to approve the 2.5% increase.