A bill pending Gov. Phil Bryant’s signature gives raises of 3 percent to 5 percent for elected county positions throughout Mississippi starting with the new terms in 2020.
State Rep. Ken Morgan, R-Morgantown, gave a brief update to the Marion County Board of Supervisors Thursday about Senate Bill 2827.
It gives supervisors a 3 percent pay increase, less than the Mississippi Association of Supervisors had requested, and salaries vary from county to county based on the total assessed value.
The Board of Supervisors in each county has to pass a resolution approving the hike, which would take effect in the new term that begins in January.
The pay for supervisors in Marion County would go from $40,400 to $41,612 under the terms of the bill.
Chancery and circuit clerks’ maximum salaries would go up from $90,000 to $94,500, a 5 percent hike. That money is paid out of fees charged by their offices, and the Legislature also increased some of the fee amounts.
Tax assessors also got a 5 percent increase. Their pay varies based on the assessed value of their county, and the salary in Marion County would go from $54,000 to $56,700.
The officials receive an additional $5,000, which is not changing, if they serve as both tax assessor and tax collector.
County medical examiners (coroners) will see their minimum monthly pay increase from $100 per month to $300 per month and their maximum pay from $900 per month to $1,250 per month. The exact amount is set by the Board of Supervisors in each county.
The amount coroners get per death examination rises from $125 to $175.
The fees constables receive for serving papers increase from $35 to $45.
The bill also allows the Board of Supervisors, if it wants, to pay a monthly office allowance for its board attorney up to $1,000 per month.
The Legislature also passed raises of $1,500 for teachers and up to 3 percent for state agency employees, depending on how much of a raise they’ve received in the past three years.
Sheriff’s salaries, which were increased more recently than the other county offices, will remain unchanged. That’s $80,000 in Marion County.
