Scott County sticks with salary policy

The Scott County Salary Commission elected to keep the status quo at its meeting Thursday morning.

All salary commission members present at the meeting voted to keep the policy that was in effect at the beginning of 2007 of giving county elected officials cost of living pay adjustment at the same level those adjustments are given to county employees.

In 2007 county employees were given a 3.5 percent cost of living adjustment in their salaries. The recommendation applies only to cost of living adjustments, not merit raises.

The salary commission is made up of all the county's elected officials: county commissioners, coroner, assessor, public administrator, sheriff, county clerk, collector, recorder, treasurer and prosecuting attorney. It meets in odd-numbered years.

The meeting was brief, with little discussion.

County Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn, Coroner Scott Amick and Public Administrator Pam Dirnberger were not in attendance. Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd chaired the meeting.

Boyd's salary, as well as that of the county's associate judges, are not subject to salary commission recommendations, as they are set by state statute.

Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger said after the meeting the salary commission's recommendation is only a recommendation, and is ultimately subject to appropriations made in the county commission's budget, which will be finalized in January.

At the beginning of the meeting Burger reminded the elected officials that lean budget times are ahead when the half-cent law enforcement sales tax expires in September. When asked after the meeting if the budget crunch could affect the cost of living adjustment, Burger said "undoubtedly."

"I don't know how you cannot keep that in your mind," Burger said of the looming prospect of losing the roughly $1.6 million generated yearly by the tax. He said he hated the fact that the budget crunch will probably affect employee raises.

In other business:

Scott County may establish a satellite collector's office in Sikeston. Collector Mark Hensley brought the idea before the commission Thursday morning, saying he thinks the office could operate at little cost to the county. Commissioners instructed Hensley to get more details and report back at a later time.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182