Seward County Commissioners on June 23 adopted a pay-increase plan to help the roads department attract and retain grader and heavy equipment operators.
Starting pay for the two “hard-to-fill” positions will be increased from $21.15 per hour to $23 this month, with a 2% increase effective July 1, making the hourly pay $23.46. New employees would also be eligible for a 2% merit-based increase after a year’s service with the county.
That starting wage was determined after Seward County Roads Superintendent Jon Regnier presented data on starting wages in other counties.
Commission Chair Misty Ahmic noted the $23 rate was just below the mid-point in the data.
Regnier and County Human Resources Director Roxanne Knutson said the comparisons were difficult because some counties are unionized and some have multiple pay steps within a job title.
The county’s current grader and heavy equipment operators will receive a July 1 base increase of $1.85 to reflect the increase in starting wages before the county applies a 2% increase for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. Existing staff would also be eligible for up to 2% in merit increases in the new fiscal year.
Other positions within the roads department would receive the 2% July 1 increase that all county employees are to receive, as well as being eligible for up to 2% increases based on merit.
The roads department plan mirrors the approach taken June 16 to increase the starting pay and pay for corrections officers at the Seward County Detention Center.
The three jobs – grader operator, heavy equipment operator and corrections officer – have been challenging for the county to fill and retain in recent years as competition for these workers increases in the region.
Hiring bonuses have been used to address the staffing shortages, but county officials have not been satisfied with results.
Commissioners on June 23 also revisited the corrections officer pay situation, due to a misstatement of the pay increases in the motion they adopted June 16.
The commissioners rescinded their June 16 actions and adopted measures to increase starting pay for new corrections officers to $25 per hour with a 2% across the board increase as of July 1, making the minimum pay $25.50. New corrections officers would also be eligible for a 2% merit increase after one year’s service.
The plan provides an increase of $1.63 to existing employees to account for the increase in the base salary on July 1. They would also be eligible for an additional 2% increase effective July 1 and a potential 2% merit increase.
County moves forward on cameras
In other action on June 23, the commissioners discussed the option of having Accurate Controls begin their upgrade of security cameras in the Detention Center earlier than expected after clarifying whether another vendor might be involved and whether commissioners would commit to paying all or part of the cost from the county’s inheritance tax revenues.
The first of three payments on the $339,300 camera system would be due around Aug. 1 and commissioners plan to pay that from the Inheritance Fund. But they will reconsider the next three payments. The county board will have a better estimate of the 2026-2027 budget, which goes into effect as of July 1 but is not final in the state-designed process until October.
After paying the first payment of $101,970 from the Inheritance Fund, commissioners said at least some of the Detention Center security upgrades would come from the regular budget instead of the Inheritance Fund, if their budget allows it or if it could be considered a public safety exemption from state limits on budget growth.
The payment decision was not unanimous. The four commissioners at the meeting split on a move to pay the entire bill from the Inheritance Fund, then voted 3-1 to pay the initial payment out of the Inheritance Fund and revisit the source for the balance.
Commissioners Ahmic, Raegan Hain and Scott Pekarek voted in favor of the measure, while Darrell Zabrocki, who spoke in favor of using the Inheritance Fund for the entire purchase, voted against it. Commissioner Ken Schmieding was absent.
Accurate Controls, the vendor for the security system, can begin installation in early August, and Jail Director Sara Stenger said that should take about 20 days.
“We thought they would be six, seven, nine months out there,” she said of the installation work.
Stenger came to commissioners in April reporting that the jail’s security cameras were periodically failing – once for as long as 44 hours. The facility’s system includes about 100 cameras that were installed when the building was constructed.
Also at the June 23 meeting, the commissioners:
Certified compliance with new Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements to follow the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 in vetting any foreign nationals working for contractors of subcontractors in order to seek a grant used in the past for half of the previous emergency management director’s salary for 2025-2026.
Accepted the annual report for the Seward-Saline Solid Waste Management Agency.
Approved a permit for Windstream Nebraska to bore under Waverly Road to 1713 Waverly Road in Township 11.
Approved a subaward agreement between Seward County and the city of Lincoln for Seward County Aging Services.
Reappropriated general funds to the Seward County Public Defender’s Office ($63,000), County Roads Department ($136), Elections ($888) and Buildings and Grounds Department ($19,739) to fund expenditures exceeding their 2025-2026 budgets.
Reviewed and added information for an annual fraud inquiry for reporting done by GBE, CPA.
Approved a short form plat for the Finke Addition in Township 10 N to separate 5.74 acres with an existing home on it from an 89-acre parcel.
Heard an annual report from Collin Hain and Duane Miner of the Seward County Chamber and Development Partnership.
