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Show Average Wage Of Utah Road Workers Third Highest In West Utah ranked third among western ' stotes in the average monthly payment pay-ment to state highway department employees In July, 1946, the latest date for whlrii comparable data are available. This was revealed in a research report titled "Utah State Highway Department Personnel and Pay Rolls" Just released by Utah Foundation, the iui-prollt, tax-research tax-research organization. Utah payments averaged $206. highest monthly payment was 8224 in Washington. Arizona was second highest with $221. Montana had the lowest average payment, $180. All western states, however, were far above the national average of $161 for the month of July, 1946. The report also reveals that, although al-though the salary paid the chief engineer en-gineer In Utah Is lower than In any other western state, the administrative adminis-trative cost for the three commissioners commis-sioners and the chief engineer places plac-es Utah at or near the top In the cost of the principal highway administrative ad-ministrative functions. Each receives re-ceives $4500 a year, a total of $18,000. In view of considerable discussion discus-sion throughout the state as to whether whe-ther or not higher salaries should be paid professional employees of the road department, the report discusses dis-cusses this subject at some length. "State road officials," the report says, "maintain that salaries paid employees are low In comparison with salaries paid similar employees of other western states, and that this makes It difficult to maintain an adequate staff. The department claims further that P"":.-.! funds may be Jeopardized if Utah cannot effectively carry out its Federally approved road projects because of the inability of the department to attract sufficient professional personnel. per-sonnel. "If the professional salary factor la to affect the ability of the Highway High-way department to provide good roads, It may be well to examine some of the possible solutions of the problem," the report continues. "One solution would be for the Finance Commission, to modify Its policy to permit professional highway employees em-ployees to be paid more than commissioners com-missioners when warranted. "Another solution would be to change the Utah highway administrative adminis-trative organization, which is unique amoug highway organization of the eleven western states. "Five of the eleven western states have no paid administrative body for conducting highway atffairs. Colorado Col-orado has an unpaid state advisory board with a representative from each of 7 road districts. In Nevadr the highway board consists of three elected state officers the governor, govern-or, attorney general, and controller who receive no added compensation compensa-tion for their highway responsibilities. responsibili-ties. Oregon has three highway commissioners who receive no salary sal-ary or per diem. Idaho has a single highway commissioner, and Washington Wash-ington has a 'Director of Highways'. "Colorado pays its chief engineer $7,50,), and his assistant, $4,800, a total of $12,300. In Oregon, the state highway engineer receives a salary of $7200 per year. Nevada has a highway engineer who receives $6000, with an assistant at $5500, a total of $11,500. Idaho pays the highway high-way commissioner $3600, and the 'Director of Highways' (who is the chief engineer) receives $4800, a total to-tal of $8400. Washington pays the j 'Director of Highways' $7500, and the assistant director (who is chief engineer) Is paid $7200, a total of $14700. ttT "The remalnlnng western states have state highway commissions or boards who are paid $10 to $15 per diem ($50 per month in Wyoming) for days spend in highway meetings meet-ings or business. Data showing the annual cost of per diem payments In these states are not available." The report also states that the Utah highway department personnel person-nel numbered 1.195 In May, 1947, n Increase of 236 employees or 28 per cent over May, 1943. Pay rolls for May, 1947. totaled $228,700, an increase in-crease of 79 per cent from the $127,-600 $127,-600 of May, 1943. |
