ELLSWORTH – The Pierce County Board heard a first reading of a resolution Feb. 24 that would increase the salaries of the elected Clerk of Court and Sheriff positions for the 2027-30 term.

According to the county board packet, the county board must establish salaries for those positions for the entire four-year term prior to the earliest date of filing for office. The final vote will take place at the March 24, 2026 meeting.

The county board approved a 1.25% increase to the overall pay scale for non-represented employees for 2026. Employees at the top of their pay grade receive a 1.25% increase for 2026. Employees not at the top of their pay grade will also qualify for a step increase around 2.5% if a favorable performance evaluation is received, making the total increase about 3.75%, documents show.

Elected officials including the Register of Deeds, County Clerk, and Treasurer salaries were increased to $77,088 for 2025 and 1.5% for years 2026-2028 by a resolution.

“The Sheriff and Clerk of Court positions were not rated when the Compensation and Classification Study was done, therefore I have requested information on compensation from surrounding counties regarding these two positions,” Administrative Coordinator Jason Matthys said.

Here is how Pierce County’s compensation for Clerk of Court in 2026 compares:

Pierce - $71,465

Dunn - $97,697

Pepin - $68,778

St. Croix – 85,075

Barron - $87,666

Buffalo - $69,839

Chippewa - $89,289

Eau Claire - $96,276

Polk - $84,177

How the compensation for Sheriff varies in 2026:

Pierce - $98,034

Dunn - $137,977

Pepin - $90,635

St. Croix - $118,250

Barron - $112,793

Buffalo - $91,059

Chippewa - $116,270

Eau Claire - $128,601

Polk - $118,248

“It is necessary for Pierce County to remain competitive in its salaries in order to attract the appropriate qualified candidates to run,” Matthys said in a memo. “It has generally been practiced to keep the salaries for elected offices the same to the extent possible, with the exception of the Sheriff.”

The Finance & Personnel Committee recommended the following Clerk of Court salary for 2027-2030: adjusted to $79,418 effective Jan. 1, 2027, adjusted by 1.5% to $80,609 effective Jan. 1, 2028, adjusted by 2% to $83,221 effective Jan. 1, 2029, and adjusted by 2% to $83,865 effective Jan. 1, 2030.

The committee also recommended the following Sheriff salary for 2027-30: adjusted to $110,000 effective Jan. 1, 2027, adjusted by 2% to $112,200 effective Jan. 1, 2028, adjusted by 2% to $114,444 effective Jan. 1, 2029, and adjusted by 2% to $116,733 effective Jan. 1, 2030.

After a closed session concerning the administrative coordinator’s annual wage adjustment, the board voted unanimously to increase the AC’s salary by 2.75%.

Other business

• The board heard a first reading of a resolution by the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Wisconsin County Highway Association supporting the state’s investment in sustainable transportation funding.
• The board approved a resolution to amend fees for issuing permits and making inspections of certain types of establishments such as lodging, etc. Public Health Director AZ Snyder proposed changing the county’s facility types and increasing fees to align with the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection facility types and to ensure the DATCP agent program is financially sustainable.
• The board approved a zoning ordinance amendment addressing inconsistencies between the Pierce County Table of Uses and the text portion of the zoning ordinance (Kinnickinnic River Bluff land section at the director of the Town of Clifton).