Cost of living increase OK'd for Scott County employees

BENTON -- Scott County employees should see a raise in their salaries beginning in January to reflect the increased cost of living.

The salary commission, which is made up of all of the elected officials, voted unanimously to approve a cost-of-living increase to the county employees during Thursday's county commission meeting.

"We are kind of following suit with what we have done in the past," said Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger.

The meeting was chaired by Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd. His salary and that of county associate judges are set by state statute and not subject to those recommendations.

Burger noted that in a percentage increase such as this, the elected officials follow suit, whereas if a flat amount is decided on, the elected officials aren't entitled to the same rate.

The exact percentage will be determined by the commission in January, Burger said, and they will look at the Social Security adjustment and consumer price index. This year, the cost-of-living adjustment was 3.5 percent.

Another consideration will be what the county's budget looks like, especially after all costs and expenditures are reported for 2007.

"With the loss of the law enforcement sales tax, the budget will be very, very tight," Burger said. "It's always on my mind about where we're heading and what we're going to be able to do."

Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said he hoped the county would be able to give a cost-of-living increase. "But we've definitely got to be responsive to the budget," he said.