The Texas County Salary Commission met at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 in the conference room of the Texas County Administrative Building to discuss wages.
After the meeting was called to order, Lindsay Koch, recorder of deeds, was nominated and voted as the commission’s chairperson.
Peggy Seyler, county clerk, presented the county’s financial report as of Oct. 12, 2023. The county’s total claim on cash currently sits at $12,748,274.08, according to the report.
Elected officials then discussed a potential annual $2,000 salary increase that would apply to all elected county officials other than the prosecutor and sheriff. Receiving the raise would be the clerk, recorder of deeds, two associate commissioners, one presiding commissioner, coroner, assessor, collector/treasurer and public administrator.
Nine of the eleven voting members of the commission voted to pass the raise, Associate Commissioner Robert Ross and Presiding Commissioner Scott Long voted against it. Parke Stevens, prosecuting attorney, questioned the time the raise would take place according to the bill, corresponding statutes and the Missouri Constitution.
The Missouri Constitution states raises cannot occur midterm, without additional duties being added, however, the statutes indicate newly or reelected officials can have increased compensation. Thus, the commission will have to determine if they are willing to expose the county to potential litigation if they approve the increase midterm, otherwise, they would not fund the increase. After a long discussion, it was determined that the decision to pass the raise would take effect Jan. 1, 2024, barring the commissioners taking it out of the budget.
Marie Lasater, coroner, requested an increase in the salary for the county coroner starting after the next election to the maximum allowable amount by the state. The only dissenting vote came from Presiding Commissioner Scott Long.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 2:15 p.m.