The Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a pay raise for themselves at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Supervisors currently earn $59,172 per year. Starting March 12, they’ll get a bump to $64,788.

A 2018 Human Resources survey found Nevada County was 21% behind the average of comparable neighboring counties’ salaries, which included Butte, El Dorado, Mendocino, Placer, Sutter, Sacramento, Yolo and Yuba counties, said Steve Rose, Human Resources director. An updated survey from 2021 showed Nevada County more than 25% behind the average.

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“Staff determined that further analysis was needed to develop a salary recommendation,” said Rose.

Further examination identified a common method to determine supervisor compensation — attaching it to salary levels of other local elected officials in the county.

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The target salary was set at 40% of six elected officials — auditor-controller, tax collector, district attorney, sheriff, clerk-recorder and assessor.

Effective the first pay period after March 12, supervisors will earn 35% of the average of those jobs — $64,788. Effective the first pay period of fiscal year 2022-23, supervisors will earn 37%, or $68,490; and the first pay period of fiscal 2023-24, 40%, or $74,043.

Currently, the chair of the board is compensated an additional 5% of their own base salary to recognize the additional duties of the chair’s responsibilities, Rose said.

“An additional ordinance change will add a new classification, vice chairperson of the Board of Supervisors, to recognize the additional duties of the vice chair role, compensated at 2.5% of their own base salary,” he added.

Nevada County last passed an ordinance setting supervisor compensation in June 2018. The raises come out of the clerk of the board budget, which is funded by the General Fund, said Georgette Aronow, a senior analyst in the CEO’s office.

William Roller is a staff writer with The Union, a sister publication of the Sierra Sun . He can be reached at wroller@theunion.com