WALLACE — Shoshone County commissioners met with County Clerk Lori Osterberg on Wednesday to discuss filling the vacant public works director position, which has been open for more than two months. 

The position became vacant following the resignation of Jessica Stutzke in January. Since then, the county has received no applicants, which commissioners believe is largely due to the salary. 

The job was previously posted at $52,000 plus benefits. On Wednesday, commissioners agreed to increase the listed salary to $58,000, matching what Stutzke was earning at the time of her resignation. 

Commissioner Dave Dose also directed Osterberg to review the public works budget to determine whether funds could be shifted or reduced to raise the salary to $65,000 plus benefits. 

Since Stutzke’s departure, the county has relied on a mix of subcontractors and additional support from Dose, who said he has been spending between 10 and 20 hours per week overseeing public works operations. 

Shoshone County public works is responsible for maintaining roughly 400 miles of county-managed roads across about 2,600 square miles. 

Dose said the reliance on third-party contractors has led to additional costs that are becoming unsustainable, though he did not provide an exact figure. The department is also operating with additional vacancies at the county shop near Murray, further straining resources. 

“We are not getting anyone, at all, and that’s a huge problem,” Commissioner Melissa Cowles said. “We are starting to spend far more with the subcontracting and then we have a commissioner working on public works. Is there any wiggle room where we can increase?” 

Osterberg initially suggested reworking the job listing, noting it included several required qualifications that the county’s three previous public works directors did not have, including advanced engineering experience. Cowles responded that the board had already asked its clerk to revise the listing. 

Osterberg also noted that public works was among the departments most heavily impacted during last year’s budget cycle. Stutzke reduced her proposed budget by roughly 40% after learning that state and federal funding sources might decline. While the county later received some relief through Secure Rural Schools funding, much of that money has already been spent on equipment leases, purchases and other public works needs. 

The commissioners also discussed the county’s recently completed wage study, which identified the public works director as one of the positions requiring immediate adjustment. The study found the position pays between $10,000 and $20,000 less than comparable public works director roles in similarly sized Idaho counties. 

“We’d kind of be killing two birds with one stone in saying this was one of the 20 or so positions that was way out of balance,” Dose said. “We’re addressing it now because we have to get somebody in this position. It’s costing the county to not.” 

In addition to overseeing maintenance of public infrastructure, the public works director manages budgets, supervises staff, administers state and federal grants, oversees contracts, and ensures compliance with Idaho law and environmental regulations. 

Commissioners plan to meet with Osterberg again next week to review her findings and determine whether the county can further increase the annual salary.