GRANITE FALLS — The Yellow Medicine County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to order a salary market study as requested by YMC Labor Management.

“You have to compare (wages) to nearby counties that are competing for our employees,” Assistant County Attorney Amanda Sieling said, “not just to counties of a similar size. It should also include Kandiyohi and Lyon counties because employees can work there without moving.”

The cost of a market study would be $10,400, but that would be eminently less expensive than a full study done by Springsted, public sector advisers.

“We can’t just do this and sit on it another 10 years,” YMC Administrator Peg Heglund said. “You have to actually do something with it.”

Labor Management realized that a full-blown study would be a pretty spendy proposition, Sieling said, that is why they asked for the market survey. It would give them the bare bones of what they’re looking for.

Commissioner Ron Antony spoke on behalf of the market study because it would answer the salary question.

Board chair Gary Johnson wasn’t convinced that even a market study was worth the money.

“Surveys save time and offer a higher participation than (personally) contacting other counties,” YMC Human Resource Manager Ashley Soine said. “You can’t always count on them doing it.”

A salary survey includes customized comparisons and a benefits survey. Where they can’t get certain information, they use MCIT (Minnesota Counties Intergovernemental Trust) data to fill in the blanks, Soine said.

The choices the YMC Board were looking at were the market study, a partial study or a full study.

Commissioner John Berends said he made the motion to approve the market study because that is what Labor Management requested.