The Iron County Commission’s decision to conduct an extensive and time-consuming salary study of all county jobs rather than act quickly to take care of the county’s employees was irresponsible.

The commission needed to spend money on a salary study to figure out that county employees are underpaid? I thought that was common knowledge.

The commissioners not only showed a lack of regard for county employees but jeopardized public safety in the process.

Despite pleas from Iron County Sheriff Mark Gower, who warned that some of his deputies would leave for higher-paying positions if they didn’t receive greater compensation, the commission turned its back on the folks who are charged with protecting our communities.

The commissioners insisted on a salary study and essentially told Gower that he’d have to tell his deputies to wait it out.

A few of them didn’t, and their departures stretched the sheriff’s office’s resources and unnecessarily put residents at greater risk.

In the end, the commission made the right decision and voted to increase wages for about 90 percent of the county’s employees, effective July 16.

Deputies will get an additional $1 per hour. That’s a good start, but I hope that’s all it is. A start. Iron County deputies remain among the lowest-paid in the state, and the commission must address that problem in the years to come.

I hope the commissioners have learned from this experience and will act more responsibly next time.

And there will be a next time.