Fee to boost Mo. deputy sheriff pay challenged

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis County and St. Charles County executives are challenging a state law designed to boost pay for sheriff deputies.

Lawmakers added a $10 fee that sheriffs can charge for serving subpoenas and other court documents. The money is deposited in a state fund to boost deputy salaries.

The county executives contend in their lawsuit that the salary fund is unconstitutional and should have been put to the voters. An attorney representing the two county leaders told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that proceeds from the fee should go directly to the county where the money was collected.

Low salaries are generally a problem in rural counties. The goal is to get average deputy pay to $28,000. The Missouri Deputy Sheriffs' Association says it's currently at about $22,000.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com