County behind on salaries

While reading the June 11 article, “County property valuations delayed,” there was one quote that jumped off the page for me. County Commissioner Al French stated, “I’m very proud of the fact that we keep our labor costs under control.”

In fact, one of the primary reasons property valuations are delayed is because county appraiser salaries haven’t kept pace with those in the private sector. As noted by County Assessor Vicki Horton, this has led to great difficulty in filling vacant appraiser positions.

It is not just appraiser salaries that have not kept pace with the private sector. The county salary structure across the board is significantly lower than both the private sector and the city of Spokane. Entry level clerical up to professional positions typically get fewer job applicants due to low salaries.

Not only do the lower salaries of county employees lead to fewer applicants, it also leads to a moral problem, which has festered among county employees for a good many years.

I would suggest if Commissioner French is such an advocate of lower salaries, perhaps he would be inclined to donate a percentage of his salary to those less fortunate, including many of his own employees.

Terry A. Hontz

Spokane