Commission seat

Five people have already expressed interest in the District 1 seat on the Cape Girardeau County Commission, currently occupied by Larry Bock, who does not intend to see re-election. Given the salary of the county commissioners -- currently $61,162 -- we expect more candidates to emerge.

(The District 2 seat held by Jay Purcell also is up for grabs next year, and Purcell is expected to seek re-election.)

The commissioners' salaries have been a talking point during election time for several years now. When the county moved to first-class status in the mid-1990s, salaries for county commissioners jumped, based on the assumption the work would require a full-time commitment.

Commissioners say their roles as commissioners aren't confined to the county administration building. Others question the full-time status.

The commissioners' salaries are almost $25,000 more than the median household income in the county. It seems reasonable that those who make decisions affecting some 70,000 people should be fairly compensated. The way the county is set up, commissioners set policy as well as manage the county's operations. The pay structure set is by Missouri statutes.

There is little doubt that the commission's salaries are magnets for a large number of candidates. This makes it all the more important for voters to elect individuals who will give them their money's worth.