Dunn County increases juror compensation to $25 per day
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — For the first time since 1994, the Dunn County Board has approved increasing the compensation for jurors from $16 for a full day of jury duty to $25.
The Dunn County Board approved the increase, along with an increase from 15 cents per mile to 51 cents per mile, at the February 19 meeting.
The Dunn County Clerk of Courts checked with other counties to find out what their compensation rate is for jurors so Dunn County could be more in line with other counties, said Sheila Stori, county board supervisor from Menomonie and chair of the Judiciary and Law Committee.
According to the background information included with the resolution, “Jury duty is mandatory and many jurors do not receive pay or compensation from employers for that service, and many also have to make arrangements for daycare or individuals to fill in their job at their own expense. The compensation established in 1978 is outdated and unfair to jurors based upon their personal and financial sacrifice.”
According to the resolution, effective March 1, the per diem compensation for jurors in Dunn County will be $25 for a full day of jury duty and $12.50 for a half day. Jurors also will be reimbursed for mileage at 51 cents per mile actually traveled each day by the most usual route to and from their homes and the Dunn County Judicial Center.
The resolution also authorizes judges to provide meals for jurors during the course of their jury duty, in the discretion of the judge, as shall be necessary.
The Dunn County Board unanimously approved the resolution.
According to the Dunn County Clerk of Courts annual report for 2019, there were 15 jury trials in Dunn County in 2018.
The resolution approved by the county board repeals two resolutions related to juror compensation that were adopted in September of 1978 and September of 1994.
Other business
In other business, the Dunn County Board:
• Approved an amended ordinance for the Nutrition Advisory Council that eliminates two-year terms for the meals program representative members and eliminates unlimited terms for the non-consumer members. The amended ordinance also stipulates that the composition of the council can include an employee of the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) instead of the director of the ADRC.
• Approved salary increases for the register of deeds, the county treasurer and the county clerk. In 2021, the three elected officials will receive $68,264. In 2022, the salary will be $69,629, while in 2023, the salary will be $71,022, and in 2024, will be $72,442.
• Approved a resolution authorizing an account for the ADRC Nutrition Program and designating Dairy State Bank in Colfax as a depository of Dunn County. The account previously was with Bremer Bank in Colfax, but the closing of Bremer Bank necessitated moving the account.
• Approved a fee schedule for permits for state sanitation, county sanitation, zoning, and for petitions requiring a public hearing. For example, a general zoning permit is $200, a shoreland permit is $300 and a shoreland accessory structure permit is $200. For petitions requiring a public hearing, a zoning ordinance map amendment, for example, will incur a fee of $650, while a zoning ordinance text amendment will cost $800.
• Approved 2020 budget adjustments totaling $116,624 in revenue and expenses to account for grants and donations for the environmental services department and the public health department.
