County admin offered new contract, nearly $29K raise

The Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors approved offering County Administrator Rebecca Glewen a new contract that includes a nearly $29,000 raise. 

The pay increase puts Glewen’s annual salary at $150,000, up from the $121,492.80 she agreed to when hired last year. 

The increase, County Chair John Aasen said, puts Glewen in line with what others in similar positions are compensated. He pointed to an opening in Chippewa County for an administrator with a salary range listed between $150,000 to $170,000. 

“Ensuring that this position remains competitive is essential to attracting and retaining the leadership necessary to effectively manage county operations, finances, and long-term planning,” Aasen said. 

He added that Glewen has helped the county save money in other areas, which “Further highlights the necessity of this role. “

“The strategic planning, organizational efficiencies, and financial oversight provided by the administrator position have led to tangible benefits for the county, reinforcing the value of the investment in a county administrator,” Aasen said. 

The approval to extend the contract was made at the board’s regular February meeting. The vote came in closed session, an action that was protested by the Times. At the time, the newspaper was told it could not have access to the votes and was given no indication that a contract existed. An attorney who specializes in open meeting laws said both were matters of public record. 

While the public was not allowed access to the vote following the meeting, that information was listed in the meeting minutes, which were approved last week Monday. The minutes showed that District Five Supervisor Andy Todd was the only member to vote against offering the contract.

“My focus was to save the taxpayers money,” Todd told the Times. “I see more money being spent and shuffled around…we hired our administrator with a timeline for the pay. The pay was accepted by her for that timeline. The oldest line in the book, I was told by her she could get another job at $150,000 to $170,000. The pressure was there to raise the wage and retroactively pay her from January.”

In the terms of the contract Glewen agreed to when hired by the county, she was supposed to receive a pay increase in line with what county department heads received. Most other county employees received a three percent increase during the 2025 budget cycle. 

Performance also factored into Todd’s decision. He said he didn’t like how the attempt to remove former Clerk of Courts Kari Tidquist from office was handled. He also said he has heard of too many complaints from employees. Though, he recognized he was the only member of the board who didn’t approve of the new deal. 

“I’m only one person and that’s how democracy works,” Todd said.

Todd said he was in favor of hiring an administrator because he liked the idea of having one point of contact for department heads and supervisors. 

The contract was signed by both Glewen and Aasen on March 7 but has not been approved by the full county board. The new contract expires Dec. 31, 2026.