The Flathead County commissioners gave themselves and other county elected officials a 1.5 percent cost-of-living pay raise on Tuesday, effective when the new fiscal year begins July 1.

A comparable cost-of-living adjustment will be given to most other county employees. However, the Montana Public Employees Association that represents county health department employees is still negotiating its contract with the county.

The commissioners also approved the recommendations from a salary survey that compiled wage and compensation data on about 230 different job positions. Associated Employers conducted the study to determine if Flathead County was competitive in the job market regarding pay and benefits and whether any pay adjustments should be made to county positions.

The survey results were compared to other wage surveys that Associated Employers had access to for validity purposes. Several survey tools and validation methods were used in the process, Associated Employers said in its report.

A key recommendation was to increase pay for deputy county attorneys. The survey found the average pay for a deputy county attorney is about $68,000, but Flathead County’s compensation for those positions is considerably less.

Flathead’s deputy county attorney positions historically have been unclassified and pay increases have been applied based on state requirements and a human resources transmittal signed by the commissioners in 2007.

This transmittal allowed discretionary 5 percent pay increases during the first three years of employment for those hired between $43,392 and $48,000 per year.

“These starting salaries have not been adjusted for new employees since that date, unlike classified positions that increase each year based on cost-of-living-adjustment increases to the pay matrix,” the study noted.

Associated Employers recommended a phased-in increase in attorney pay, calling for an attorney pay matrix for the coming fiscal year with a starting salary of $58,000 and a starting salary of $60,000 the following year.

“The attorney piece of the study has the biggest fiscal impact, even with phasing in the increases,” county Human Resource Officer Tammy Skramovsky said.

For the coming fiscal year, the total impact of the pay adjustments, excluding the cost-of-living adjustment, will be $240,000.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.