LEE COUNTY – Lee County Supervisors stumbled through certifying the 2026-27 fiscal year budget Tuesday afternoon after Supervisor Chuck Holmes balked again at the $40,000 salary for supervisors.
The county approved the certification of taxes at the meeting, which includes a levy rate of $11.79, down another 58 cents from the previous year. The county had settled on a 10-cent reduction, but a workshop last week opened the door to a steeper cut on several formal and informal requests from the Lee County Farm Bureau.
Brent Koller, from Franklin Township and past president of the county farm bureau, said during the public hearing portion of the budget consideration, that he appreciated the county’s direction in further reducing the levy.
“We feel like it is a step in the right direction and that we hope in the future we keep moving in that direction and looking at giving some more relief down the road and making some more cuts as we go on,” Koller said.
Holmes then made a motion following the public hearing to approve the budget and certification with an amendment to strike a paragraph outlining the pay increases, but didn’t move to have the actual dollars amended in the proposed budget.
“I’ve had a number of calls in the last week or two about this and many of them think this is outrageous and too much. One person mentioned that these raises amount to more than the budget of county's pioneer (cemetery) commission.
“I think we’ve neglected to take into consideration what the average per capita income is here in Lee County.”
Holmes said he would like to have the matter put on the agenda next week for consideration. Holmes' motion was seconded by Denise Fraise and, after heavy discussion, ultimately passed 3-2. However, it was later rescinded without a motion to rescind, and the budget was approved as presented after Budget Director Cindy Renstrom showed that elected officials’ salaries were listed on the budget certification form.
The budget gives supervisors a $40,000 salary with the chair receiving an additional $2,500. Holmes indicated that he would be asking for a resolution to reduce that salary amount at a future board meeting, indicating that a 10% increase would be more appropriate.
Supervisors Tim Wondra, Chuck Holmes, and Denise Fraise all indicated they had received calls opposing the substantial raise supervisors were receiving in the new budget.
However, Garry Seyb and Ginger Knisley said they had received calls in support of getting the supervisor pay more in line with other counties.
“How many times can we debate this particular line item?” Knisley said.
Once approved, the county cannot go above budgeted line items, but they can reduce spending in the budget, specifically the salaries paid to supervisors, by resolution.
“I don’t know how many times we need to discuss this. We’ve been through this repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, and we spin it over and over and over again,” Seyb said. “I just don’t get it. Either we’re doing the job or we’re not.
“I guess, from where I’m at, if we’re not going to do it, then let’s reduce our salary to 0. And we should just do it for free.”
“Well, that’s childish,” Fraise said.
Knisley said the feedback she’s hearing is that it’s time the county get in line with other counties when it comes to pay and setting the supervisor positions in line with other counties across the state.
“We are 10s of 1,000s below where we should be. This position has had two raises since 2016 and, had this position been given a 3% increase each year of those years, it would be over $43,000 right now,” she said.
Fraise said the salary didn’t keep her from running and it didn’t keep Knisley from running. But Knisley countered saying the position won’t be valued if supervisors don’t show it value.
“Is there a reason why Lee County Supervisors are of less value than the other counties around the state – this much,” she said. “Maybe we should just keep all the salaries level.”
Holmes referred back to his argument that the county’s per capita income is so much less than those other counties.
Supervisors had originally set their raise at $43,000 and reduced that to $40,000 toward the end of budget discussions. Supervisors are currently at approximately $29,000.
Other elected official salaries listed in the budget include: Lee County Attorney $146,895, Auditor, Treasurer and Recorder $88200, and Sheriff $138,199.
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