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Spencer County sets elected-official salaries after contentious debate over raises
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Summary
The fiscal court set base salaries for magistrates and other elected offices and approved changes to management pay after debate about the optics of officials raising their own pay; the court approved a county-attorney salary increase by motion and recorded related votes and roll-call discussion.
Spencer County Fiscal Court members set the starting salaries for magistrates, the jailer, coroner and deputy coroner and debated a proposed management pay increase during their regular meeting.
The court voted to keep the current pay levels for several offices and approved a budget motion to increase management salary components after floor debate about whether elected officials should raise their own pay. One member objected on the record: "I do not agree with this, and I'll vote no on it because I don't think it's correct for someone that's setting, in a seat to increase their own salary for the next term," a member said during discussion.
Court discussion referenced state rules and the statutory timing for setting salaries; the judge executive said the court must set starting rates by May 1 and that the figures serve as a baseline that later elected officials cannot reduce below. Members discussed options including a percentage increase and whether to include or separately handle expense allowances.
The court also approved a motion to raise the county-attorney set salary to $40,000 per year after supporters said the office's workload justifies the increase. Votes were taken by voice and roll call as recorded in the minutes; the transcript records some roll-call exchanges but not a complete, named tally for every motion.
Members said they would revisit changes during budget work to ensure transparency and to consider whether future adjustments should be phased or limited to cost-of-living changes.
