Commissioners split on pay raise for three county officials

Dec. 19—Pittsburg County commissioners split on making a pay raise for three county elected officials in January — including raises for two of the county commissioners.

Commissioners passed Resolution 23-166 during their regular Monday meeting by a spilt 2-to-1 vote, which approved raises in base pay to $49,500 for District 1 Commissioner Charlie Rogers, District 3 Commissioner Ross Selman and County Assessor Michelle Fields effective Jan 1, 2023.

They also approved base pay raises of $49,500 effective July 1, 2023, for District 2 Commissioner Kevin Smith, County Clerk Hope Trammell, County Court Clerk Pam Smith, County Sheriff Chris Morris and County Treasurer Jennifer Hackler.

Selman and Rogers voted "yes" for the base pay raises to take effect Jan. 1 for their offices and the assessor's office, while Commission Chairman/District 2 Commissioner Kevin Smith voted "no" — resulting in the split 2-1 vote.

Smith said he wasn't opposed to the raises, but he voted "no" based upon a letter from District 18 District Attorney Chuck Sullivan, advising the commissioners to begin using the base salary number of $49,500 as of July 1, 2023.

"I'm not against it," Kevin Smith said of the raises. "Legal counsel gave us a date," he said, referring to the July 1, 2023 date for the base pay increase to $49,500. Smith said he's concerned that if the commissioners don't follow the advice given by Sullivan, then Sullivan's office would not be able to defend them if there are any legal issues resulting from the matter.

Selman and Rogers said they had information that it was OK for county elected officials who are beginning new terms in office on Jan. 1, 2023 to go ahead and take the base pay increases at that time. Rogers said he checked with auditors while in Oklahoma City last week.

As a result of the commissioners passing their resolution Monday, Selman, Rogers and Fields could be making more for the first six months of 2023 than the other county elected officials are making. Commissioners said Monday it will have to be determined whether they county has enough funds available to put the raises into effect for the three county elected officials who will begin new terms Jan. 1

The resolution states that after guidance from Sullivan, passage of the resolution allows that all salary and pay adjustments be made under the new system in state House Bill 1064, which would raise the base salary of all Pittsburg County elected officials to $49,500 beginning July 1.

Sullivan's letter did approve raising the base pay of all county elected officials effective July 1, 2023, according to his interpretation of state law.

Also Included in the commissioners' resolution is a provision that states the commissioners recognize House Bill 1064 and House Bill 1939 allowing the county assessor, District 1 commissioner and the District 3 commissioner "the authorization to accept the base salary increase beginning Jan. 1, 2023, should those elected officials so choose."

Asked by the News-Capital about the current base pay for county elected officials, County Clerk Trammell said it is $42,500. That means the annual increase in base pay for county elected officials will be $7,000 when it is increased to $49,500.

That's only the base pay. When adjustments are made for valuations and population as required, all Pittsburg County elected officials currently have a gross annual pay of $58,113.84, Trammell said.

Using those numbers, the additional $7,000 for county elected officials will boost their annual pay to $65,111.84 when it goes into effect.

All of the pay raises were approved statewide for county elected officials across Oklahoma, according to the resolution.

It calls for the base salary for county elected officials to reflect provisions of House Bill 1064 and House Bill 1939 regarding salaries and pay adjustments, which went into effect Nov. 1, 2021, the resolution states.

At the commissioners' meeting, the question revolved around when the raises would go into effect.

Passage of the commissioners' resolution Monday means the three county elected officials who begin new four-year terms on Jan. 1, 2023, will see their raises in place when they begin their new terms in office. Rogers, Selman and Fields — all of whom were up for election in 2022 — will see their raises take effect when the New Year begins.

County Treasurer Hackler also faced a reelection bid in 2022, but state law requires country treasurers across Oklahoma to begin their new terms in office on July 1, 2023, at the beginning of the new Fiscal Year. The provision is designed to not have any new county treasurers take office at the beginning of the calendar year, an especially busy time because that's the general time period when county ad valorem property taxes are typically being paid.

As a result, Hackler is slated to get her base pat pay raise effective July 1 — the same time Trammell, Morris, Kevin Smith and Pam Smith are slated to receive their base pay raises.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.