Magistrates tell Jasper County they are underpaid after years without raises; council requests data

Magistrates told the council that their pay has lagged and asked for a review and adjustment, citing statutory formulas that tie magistrate salaries to the circuit judge salary and county population.

The chief magistrate said magistrates have not received raises in roughly 17 years and described the breadth of their duties, including weekend rotations, on-call obligations and search/arrest warrant support. “In 17 years, we've not had a single salary increase,” the chief magistrate said, asking council to consider a multi‑year approach toward the statutory minimums.

Magistrates noted that some of their part‑time colleagues receive substantially less than comparable magistrates in nearby counties; the chief magistrate said some positions earn “half” of peer counties when the statutory formula is examined. Staff explained the statute phases in salary increases and that a year‑one full‑time minimum based on current circuit judge salary would be about $77,673, with phased increases thereafter.

Councilors asked for documentation and comparative pay charts and requested that staff ensure any adjustments comply with statute. A magistrate said she would provide docket and case‑volume numbers to help quantify workload. Council members agreed staff should gather the statutory references, pay charts used and revenue implications and report back during the follow-up budget session.

The council did not vote on magistrate pay at the workshop; it asked staff and the clerk to present the legal basis, cost estimates and possible phased approaches at the next meeting.