Ex-official urges ban on supervisors' dual government jobs
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
A former Polk County administrator asked supervisors this week to prohibit themselves from working and getting paid for more than one full-time government job.
Why it matters: The request comes as Polk County faces budget struggles, with the five supervisors' $149,000 annual salaries becoming a subject of public conversation.
Catch up quick: Former Ankeny Mayor Mark Holm, a Republican, told Axios shortly after taking office as supervisor in January that he was continuing his work as an Iowa Department of Transportation public services manager, making $120,000 yearly.
- Newly elected supervisor Jill Altringer also kept her job in a privately owned lobbying firm.
State of play: Both said they could handle the responsibilities of dual roles, including the supervisor's most important responsibility of being available to constituents full-time.
- Altringer brought in a partner to help manage her workflow at her firm.
- Supervisors voted 3-2 earlier this month to hire a fourth executive assistant for the board, a position with an annual salary of up to $95,000.
Driving the news: Former administrator Ray Sears told supervisors in a Monday budget hearing that he believes they could prohibit dual government employment among themselves.
- Supervisors Chairperson Matt McCoy responded that Iowa law is silent on dual employment issues, leaving the matter to Holm's constituents.
- "Even if it's not illegal," Sears said, "it sure as hell ain't right, and somebody needs to be following up on this."
The other side: Holm, returning from a spring break trip and absent from Monday's meeting, told Axios on Wednesday that he had previously met with Sears and disagreed on the idea.
Yes, but: After three months in office, Holm said he thinks the job should be classified as part-time and continues to believe, as he said during last year's campaign, that the job is overpaid.
- He supports reducing supervisors' salary structure if his colleagues would agree to consider the concept, which has not been part of budget talks.
Zoom in: Holm said he played a key role in the supervisors' recent unanimous decision to reject raises for themselves in the upcoming fiscal year and that some of the recent infighting among supervisors serves as a distraction.
- "We need to lead by example, and we need to set the tone of a positive kind of environment that does want to do good," he said.
What's next: Supervisors will finalize their budget on April 22.