Scott officials move to end 'per diem' pay

County Board members are expected to stop collecting extra pay, on top of their salaries, for each day they work.

By DAVID PETERSON, Star Tribune

Last update: February 6, 2008 - 12:34 AM

Members of the Scott County Board, who a few weeks ago awarded themselves the second heftiest raise of any of the suburban counties, are expected to stop collecting extra payments for each day they devote to the job.

"Per diem" pay, as it's called, ranged among the commissioners last year from less than $800 to more than $5,300.

"I truly did come to this job as a public service," said the board's newly elected chairman, Bob Vogel, of New Market, who last year drew the smallest share. "If we think we should be paid more, let's make it a part of the salary, which is more visible to the public and more transparent."

Scott's commissioners raised their salaries to $47,000, becoming, on a per-resident basis, the second highest paid of the five suburban counties. At the same time, though, they signaled a desire to rethink the per diem issue. At an informal workshop last week, they asked the county's staff to draw up a resolution they could vote on in the weeks to come, during a formal meeting, putting an end to per diems.

Vogel stressed that differences in per diem pay can reflect the vigor with which commissioners pursue their jobs -- including the many outside committee assignments they're asked to take on.

Jon Ulrich, of Savage, the leading recipient in 2007, agreed. "I'm on about 25 committees," he said. "I'm not kidding!"

Last year for instance he chaired the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, the transit provider for a swath of suburbs from Savage to Rosemount. That alone meant lots of meetings, he said -- not just board meetings but three committees beyond that.

What may not be evident to outsiders, Ulrich said, is that vigorous participation on bodies outside the county is an investment that pays off. He takes part in a Metropolitan Council advisory group that doles out highway money. "For a number of years, we weren't getting much money here for county roads," he said. "In the latest funding round, we're going to get $15 million. Committee work is very important."

Dakota County doesn't offer per diems but does pay lump sums for expenses: $4,659, less than Carver ($6,180) or Anoka ($5,300), the other metro counties following that path.

The whole question of pay is much more complex than it appears on the surface, Scott commissioners say. Some quietly don't accept pay raises every year. Vogel accepts no per diems for trips within the county.

Asked whether his being a bank president may account for his turning away the checks, Vogel smiled. "I could spend the money," he said, "as easily as anyone else."

David Peterson • 952-882-9023