COEUR d'ALENE - The Kootenai County commissioners have proposed an $80.9 million budget for fiscal year 2016, an increase of $1.5 million from this year.

Part of the proposed budget includes a 3 percent wage increase for county employees on the general pay plan, which doesn't include sworn Kootenai County Sheriff's Office personnel or 911 division employees.

"Our No. 1 asset is the people who work here," Commission Chairman David Stewart said Wednesday. "We need to take care of our asset."

Stewart supported raises as high as 8 percent, but compromised at the lower amount.

"From my contacts with people in the private sector, I feel that 3 percent is probably a fair pay raise," said Commissioner Marc Eberlein.

Raises weren't approved for elected officials, but they'll determine who in their offices gets the extra money.

The county, if the budget is approved, would distribute enough money for everybody to get a 3 percent raise. But the elected officials have discretion to give more or less, depending on how they want to reward employees.

"In this structure, I try and support the autonomy of the other elected officials," said Commissioner Dan Green. "They universally want the money at their discretion to give away. They don't want us to say, 'Everybody gets a 3 percent,' like a (cost of living adjustment increase)."

County employees will not be asked to contribute more to their health benefits, which will be maintained at current levels.

Maintaining benefit levels and increasing wages by 3 percent will cost the county an additional $1.6 million in the next fiscal year.

Nearly $675,000 is attributable to the health care benefits.

The board also has tentatively funded eight new positions, bringing the total full-time budgeted positions to 780. The county budgeted 772 for this year.

The commissioners received a request for 26 new positions from the county's department heads and elected officials, Green said.

Four of the tentatively approved positions are for the prosecutor's office and public defender's officer. Both get a new attorney and supporting staff member.

The county's community development department got a new position to help handle increased building activity.

"Building permits have already passed today what they were last year," Eberlein said.

A staff person to support a new magistrate judge for the county was added, along with an employee for the county's 911 operations, and a new position for adult misdemeanor probation.

"Of the eight new positions, seven apply to our justice-related services," Green said. "That's by far our biggest tab, always."

Approximately 55 percent of the county's overall budget pays for justice-related services, which the county is mandated to provide.

The budget includes a property tax increase of 1 percent, which would result in $9.64 per year in additional taxes for a property owner of a home assessed at $200,000.

The commissioners have scheduled a public hearing on the proposed budget for 6 p.m. Aug. 26. It will be conducted at the county's administrative building at 451 N. Government Way.