Committee forwards pay increase measure for Board of Equalization

A House committee voted to give a favorable report to a proposal to increase pay for members of the Board of Equalization and forward the measure for further consideration. Committee members moved and seconded the favorable report after staff said the change was budgeted and would be retroactive to calendar year 2025.

The committee heard from a staff member who described the proposal as a pay increase “from $1.50 to $200,” and said the Board of Equalization — the panel that reviews public appeals of property tax appraisals — has not had a pay increase in some time. The staff member said future adjustments would follow the consumer price index. When asked whether the increase would be retroactive, the staff member replied, “Yes, ma'am. It would be,” and said the Legislative Services Agency (LSA) had reviewed the proposal and that the item was included in the budget. A revenue commissioner, also referenced in the discussion, said the proposal would not create budget problems; the presenter summarized that “there's plenty of money in that. There's gonna be no issues with that.”

Representative Paul Jones moved the favorable report and Representative Givens seconded it. The chair called for the question: “All those in favor, say aye. All opposed?” The chair then said, “Ayes have it,” and the bill was reported out of committee.

The committee record includes the stated pay figures and the plan to index future adjustments to the consumer price index. The transcript contains the numeric phrasing as read in the meeting record; the committee record should be consulted for the official bill text and exact dollar amounts.

The measure will be reported out for the next steps in the legislative process.