BLOOMFIELD, Mo. - The Stoddard County Salary Commission voted 7-2 to grant a cost of living increase to elected officials beginning Jan. 1, 2012. The action came at their meeting Monday in the Government Building. The Salary Commission is made up of all the elected officials in the county as well as the three commissioners.
County Recorder Kay Asbell made the motion to not increase the base pay for elected officials, but rather authorize the commission to give a cost of living increase to officials not to exceed the amount given to county employees. It was seconded by County Assessor Jody Lemmon. It passed by a 7-2 vote. Voting in favor of the motion were Asbell, Lemmon, Collector Carla Moore, Public Administrator Pam Lape, Clerk Joe Watson, Presiding Commission-er Greg Mathis and Commissioner Frank Sifford. Voting against the motion were Sheriff Carl Hefner and Commissioner Carol Jarrell. Not present were Prosecutor Russ Oliver and Coroner Aaron Mathis.
Salary Commission Chairman Sifford recommended the action, noting that is has been more than 10 years since elected officials were given a cost of living increase. He said county employees have received a cost of living adjustment (COLA) every year for many years with the exception of three or four times.
Mathis asked if the cost of living increase would apply to someone newly elected.
Lemmon recommended that the increase not affect the base salary. The COLA would be given in addition to the base salary, so the base would be effected.
Asbell questioned whether that really addressed the issue, and Mathis agreed, saying that was why he asked the question.
Lemmon said anyone newly elected would come in at the base pay, which would not be increased. He said the COLA was not a salary increase.
Watson had contacted some nearby counties to see what policy they have adopted in terms of cost of living increases. Dunklin County voted in 2007 to grant elected officials the same increase as that given to county employees. New Madrid County implemented COLAs in 2005, though all increases must be a percentage and not a lump sum. Butler County has granted COLAs for 20 years, Watson said the clerk there told him. Last year that was three percent, the same as the amount given to county employees. In 2005 Scott County began giving elected officials the same cost of living adjustments as those given to county employees, though in some years there have not been increases.
"We've had this opportunity for years, but didn't do it," commented Sifford. Sifford announced his retirement after many years on the commission and will not seek re-election.
The commission will take up the cost of living adjustments as part of their budget process for 2012. There has been no discussion about the new budget.
Salaries for Stoddard County elected officials are as follows: Presiding commissioner, $31,700; associate commissioner, $29,700; recorder, $45,000; county clerk, $45,000; sheriff, $50,000; collector, $57,078; coroner, $18,000; public administrator, $45,000; and assessor, $45,000.
As a comparison, the recorder, county clerk, collector and assessor make $43,000 in Dunklin County, $52,381 in New Madrid County and $58,387 in Butler County. The presiding commissioner makes $30,380 in Dunklin County, $36,571 in New Madrid County nd $40,562 in Butler County.