MONROE - Lafayette County pays its board chairman more than other counties with larger populations, while Green County pays its board chairman less than counties with fewer people.
That's according to a study done by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance in 2009. The study determined that the median salary for county board chairs in 2009 was $12,000 for those in counties with more than 100,000 people, and $4,250 for those in counties with fewer than 25,000 people.
Lafayette County, which has a population of about 17,000, paid board chairman Jack Sauer a salary of $6,000 plus mileage and a per diem for each meeting.
Board members in Lafayette County receive $35 per meeting, plus mileage. Sauer, who serves on the county's fair committee; long range planning committee; nursing home committee; regional planning committee; and workforce development committee, received a total of $9,159 for salary, meetings and mileage in 2009.
Lafayette County supervisor Dwayne L. Larson, said the salary has been in place for 10 years. Repeated attempts to reach Sauer for comment were unsuccessful.
Larson received $5,856 for meetings and mileage, the second highest amount of anyone on the board. He serves on the county's audit, bargaining, building and insurance, highway, highway safety, law enforcement and emergency government and planning and zoning committees.
In 2009, the county paid its 16 board supervisors $52,483 for meetings and mileage. The amount included Sauer's yearly salary. The remaining 15 board members averaged $2,888 for meetings and mileage. John Alexander received the least amount, $280 for meetings and mileage.
Green County, which has a population of about 34,000, paid board chairman Art Carter a salary of $2,400, plus mileage and a per diem for each meeting he attended during the year.
While Carter's salary as board chairman is lower than other counties with lower populations, the total amount of money he received from the county last year was more than $6,000, due to the amount of money he receives for each county meeting he attended.
In 2009, Carter received $6,191.50. The amount included his salary of $2,400, along with $1,191.50 for mileage and $2,600 for meetings.
All Green County board members receive $40 per meeting. Carter attended 65 county meetings, about five a month, in 2009.
Carter was a member of the committee of committees; the finance committee; the personnel and labor relations committee; reapportioning committee; the agriculture and extension education committee the land information committee; and the affirmative action commission.
Rhonda Hunter, Green County finance director, said some of the county committees, such as the finance committee, meet more often than others. The finance committee is usually busiest when the budget is being prepared.
"Nobody on the board gets paid for anything other than for meetings and their mileage," Hunter said.
In 2009, board member Herb Hanson received a total of $6,195 for meetings and mileage, more than any other board member. Hanson received about $1,000 in mileage and about $5,000 for meetings. Hanson is a member of the personnel and labor relations committee; the property, parks and insurance committee; the human services board; and the Pleasant View Nursing Home committee. He attended about 125 meetings in 2009.
In 2009, the 32 board members were paid a total of about $75,000. Without Carter's salary, meetings and mileage, the average amount paid for board members was about $2,416. Board member Sherri Fiduccia received the least amount at $943.
The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance reported that 25 of Wisconsin's 72 counties offered health insurance to board chairman. Of the 25 that offered health insurance, 11 offered to pay a share of the insurance premium, ranging from 100 percent in Jefferson County to 60 percent in La Crosse County.
The study found that 21 counties offered health insurance to regular board members. But only six counties, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Brown, La Crosse and Grant offered to pay a portion of the premium.
County Clerk Mike Doyle said Green County offers health insurance to its board members, but the county doesn't pay for any portion of the premium. He said two county board members pay for single coverage, and the premium for the coverage is $762 a month.
"We won't pay any percentage of their premium," Doyle said. "If they choose to take the insurance, they have to pay for it."
Lafayette County Clerk Linda Bawden said the county doesn't offer insurance to any of its board members.
That's according to a study done by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance in 2009. The study determined that the median salary for county board chairs in 2009 was $12,000 for those in counties with more than 100,000 people, and $4,250 for those in counties with fewer than 25,000 people.
Lafayette County, which has a population of about 17,000, paid board chairman Jack Sauer a salary of $6,000 plus mileage and a per diem for each meeting.
Board members in Lafayette County receive $35 per meeting, plus mileage. Sauer, who serves on the county's fair committee; long range planning committee; nursing home committee; regional planning committee; and workforce development committee, received a total of $9,159 for salary, meetings and mileage in 2009.
Lafayette County supervisor Dwayne L. Larson, said the salary has been in place for 10 years. Repeated attempts to reach Sauer for comment were unsuccessful.
Larson received $5,856 for meetings and mileage, the second highest amount of anyone on the board. He serves on the county's audit, bargaining, building and insurance, highway, highway safety, law enforcement and emergency government and planning and zoning committees.
In 2009, the county paid its 16 board supervisors $52,483 for meetings and mileage. The amount included Sauer's yearly salary. The remaining 15 board members averaged $2,888 for meetings and mileage. John Alexander received the least amount, $280 for meetings and mileage.
Green County, which has a population of about 34,000, paid board chairman Art Carter a salary of $2,400, plus mileage and a per diem for each meeting he attended during the year.
While Carter's salary as board chairman is lower than other counties with lower populations, the total amount of money he received from the county last year was more than $6,000, due to the amount of money he receives for each county meeting he attended.
In 2009, Carter received $6,191.50. The amount included his salary of $2,400, along with $1,191.50 for mileage and $2,600 for meetings.
All Green County board members receive $40 per meeting. Carter attended 65 county meetings, about five a month, in 2009.
Carter was a member of the committee of committees; the finance committee; the personnel and labor relations committee; reapportioning committee; the agriculture and extension education committee the land information committee; and the affirmative action commission.
Rhonda Hunter, Green County finance director, said some of the county committees, such as the finance committee, meet more often than others. The finance committee is usually busiest when the budget is being prepared.
"Nobody on the board gets paid for anything other than for meetings and their mileage," Hunter said.
In 2009, board member Herb Hanson received a total of $6,195 for meetings and mileage, more than any other board member. Hanson received about $1,000 in mileage and about $5,000 for meetings. Hanson is a member of the personnel and labor relations committee; the property, parks and insurance committee; the human services board; and the Pleasant View Nursing Home committee. He attended about 125 meetings in 2009.
In 2009, the 32 board members were paid a total of about $75,000. Without Carter's salary, meetings and mileage, the average amount paid for board members was about $2,416. Board member Sherri Fiduccia received the least amount at $943.
The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance reported that 25 of Wisconsin's 72 counties offered health insurance to board chairman. Of the 25 that offered health insurance, 11 offered to pay a share of the insurance premium, ranging from 100 percent in Jefferson County to 60 percent in La Crosse County.
The study found that 21 counties offered health insurance to regular board members. But only six counties, Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Brown, La Crosse and Grant offered to pay a portion of the premium.
County Clerk Mike Doyle said Green County offers health insurance to its board members, but the county doesn't pay for any portion of the premium. He said two county board members pay for single coverage, and the premium for the coverage is $762 a month.
"We won't pay any percentage of their premium," Doyle said. "If they choose to take the insurance, they have to pay for it."
Lafayette County Clerk Linda Bawden said the county doesn't offer insurance to any of its board members.