Do state elected officials deserve a pay raise? The determining board says yes, but local legislators are saying no thanks.
Convened every two years, the Citizens’ Commission on Compensation for Elected Officials recommended a varying wage increase, including an 8 percent bump in fiscal 2016 and 2017 for offices such as governor and attorney general and $2,000 a year, or about 11 percent, for senators and representatives, according to the official report filed Nov. 25 with the secretary of state’s office.
If implemented, lawmakers’ annual compensation would increase $4,000 to $39,915, and the governor would receive a $23,000 raise to $156,088 a year by 2017, for example.
“When compared with similar private and public entities, the commission determined these positions are substantially underpaid for the responsibilities required,” the report states, citing an example of full-time county prosecutor pay exceeding the state’s attorney general by 15 percent.
The new wage structure automatically takes effect Feb. 1 unless two-thirds of the General Assembly rejects the proposal.
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, intends to prefile legislation to do just that.
“People shouldn’t run for office to make money, they should do it because they want to serve the people,” he said, referencing the service of Springfield City Council members who labor for no pay. “In this current economy, legislators don’t need a pay raise.”
Comprising 21 statewide members serving four-year terms, southwest Missouri commission representatives include CoxHealth Vice President of Marketing, Public Affairs and System Administration Jim Anderson.
Anderson said the commission took numerous variables into account before making its recommendation, including comparable salaries in neighboring states, compensation of state leaders, such as university presidents and public school superintendents, as well as top grossing law firms. For example, legislators in neighboring Arkansas make $15,868 annually and Illinois officials make $67,836. California tallies the highest nationwide at $90,526, according to the report.
“It’s been a long time since there was an increase and there was a fine line we had to walk,” Anderson said, noting he voted no to increasing legislator pay by $4,000. “I was looking smaller, for $1,000 or $2,000.
“I was afraid of what could happen, what is happening, that people would say it was too much. Smaller steps are easier to accept.”
During the past two decades, the commission has seen mixed results. The General Assembly disapproved its recommendation four times and approved three wage increases, the last of which was in 2010.
Balancing Missouri’s $27 billion budget will be key going forward, Burlison said. Wage increases for General Assembly members would add $394,000 each year.
Expected to co-sponsor the legislation with Rep. Mark Parkinson, R-St. Charles, Burlison anticipates House and Senate colleagues would support the measure.
“I think Burlison is on the right track,” said Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield. “I appreciate the work of the commission, but this is the wrong time to allow raises for elected officials, especially when state employees haven’t had a raise in several years.”
Prefiling opened Dec. 1, and Burlison expects to file two related bills before the new session starts Jan. 7.
“The raise shouldn’t be automatic unless rejected, it should be the reverse,” Burlison said, noting a statute change would require a constitutional amendment. “I propose the same commission research the issue, but their recommendation become the will of the voters.”
With both issues in House research right now, Burlison expects to have the bill language back soon for prefiling.
