A county salary commission that was put into code five years ago will finally be formed today when the Pierce County Council is expected to confirm 10 appointees.
“It’s good for an outside body to make sure county electeds are being paid at an appropriate level,” said County Executive Pat McCarthy, adding that the elected officials themselves shouldn’t be making those decisions. But the wait for the panel to begin setting salaries won’t end quite yet.
The commission charged with recommending or setting salaries for 11 elected officials probably won’t start meeting for a few months or longer.
The county needs time to resolve conflicts between state law, county code and the county charter over who has the final say in raising or lowering salaries for elected officials.
The county’s human resources department also needs time to gather materials on wage and classification systems for the committee to use, said Al Rose, the county’s director of justice services.
The County Council voted in September to approve McCarthy’s proposal to do away with automatic raises for elected leaders at a time when the county is seeking no cost-of-living adjustments for all of its nearly 3,000 employees.
McCarthy also activated a 10-member salary commission that the council established by ordinance in 2007 but never used.
At a study session last week, County Council members favored confirming appointees to the new panel today, the last day of a 30-day period for doing so.
“Impanel them now,” urged Councilmember Tim Farrell.
Council members also said they want to get advice from County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist – and possibly the state attorney general – on resolving conflicts between state law and the county’s code and charter before the panel starts setting salaries.
Several conflicts over the commission’s authority must be settled before it can start working.
For instance, county code says that the commission sets increases for the seven County Council members and recommends increases for the executive, auditor, assessor-treasurer and sheriff. The council would have to approve increases for those four elected officials.
However, the code potentially could conflict with the county charter, which sets council members’ pay at 60 percent of the executive’s salary. Moreover, state law says the commission has the authority to lower as well as raise salaries for council members, said council attorney Susan Long.
Rose told the council it could wait until September if need be for the commission to start meeting. Rose explained later in an interview that he was “throwing out a time” because the county has people who have agreed to serve, he believes the committee could begin meeting in a month or two.
McCarthy said the differences in statutes can be clarified and resolved. “I don’t think they’re that onerous,” McCarthy said.
Council chairwoman Joyce McDonald said she supports having a salary commission so that members of the public have a say in what their elected officials earn.
“We work for them,” she said.
McDonald said it’s important to resolve legal conflicts so the commission’s responsibilities are clear.
Officially, the panel will be called the Pierce County Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials.
As set by the ordinance, six of the commission’s 10 members were randomly selected by the auditor’s office from registered voters. McCarthy appointed four others with backgrounds in labor, personnel management, business and law.
Terms for the 10 commission members range from two to four years. They are not paid.
In September, the council removed language stipulating the county executive, auditor, assessor-treasurer and sheriff receive 3 percent salary increases each year. By extension, the council members’ pay increases were eliminated because their salaries are set at 60 percent of the executive’s salary.
McCarthy earns $179,336 annually. Council members make $107,602 a year.
The commission won’t address the salaries of the Pierce County prosecutor and Superior Court and District Court judges. County code sets the prosecutor’s pay at the rate of a Superior Court judge’s salary, while the judges’ salaries are set by a state salary commission.
Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647
steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/politics
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