Coosa County commission asks state to set salaries for sheriff, revenue commissioner and probate judge

The Coosa County Commission on Dec. 9 voted unanimously to ask state legislators to draft bills that would fix base salaries for three countywide elected officials.

The resolution asks Coosa County’s state representatives to seek proposed acts that would set the Revenue Commissioner’s and the Sheriff’s base annual salary and/or expense allowance at 60 percent of the salary paid to a State District Court Judge with equivalent years of service, and the Judge of Probate’s base annual salary at 70 percent of the same judicial salary, with changes effective Oct. 1, 2026.

Chair Lamar Daugherty presented the resolution and the motion to adopt it was approved following a second. The measure specifies that, if enacted, those salaries would be paid in equal periodic installments from the county general fund and describes how cost-of-living adjustments tied to State District Court Judge increases would be applied (as expense allowances until the next term, then included in base salary for an incoming term).

The resolution also directs local legislative representatives to request drafting assistance from the Alabama Legislative Reference Service and asks that completed proposed acts be returned to the county commission for approval and publication as required by law.

The commission did not set dollar figures in the resolution; instead the proposals are expressed as percentages tied to State District Court Judge salaries and call for administrative details (benefits, expense reimbursements and timing) to be included in the drafting. The resolution passed unanimously.