BENTONVILLE — Benton County’s Finance Committee could begin to discuss pay for elected officials tonight to settle the matter in advance of this year’s elections.
Tom Allen, justice of the peace for District 4 and chairman of the Finance Committee, said the justices of the peace may not take action, but should discuss the question. The panel will look at the pay for all county elected officials, including the justices of the peace, Allen said.
“We’re going to look at all county elected officials again,” Allen said, noting that countywide elected officials received pay raises in the county’s 2014 budget. “The reason why we’re doing this is the timing of the issue with there being an election this year and the filing period starting in February. We have this discussion all the time about when to consider pay for elected officials. If there’s going to be any change the discussion about it needs to be now so everyone can know what the pay is before they have to decide to file for office.”
Several of the county’s elected officials said they were not seeking any pay increases.
“This discussion of compensation for elected officials has not been promoted or discussed by the elected officials,” County Judge Bob Clinard said. “Speaking for myself, I’m not asking for a raise.”
Sheriff Kelley Cradduck also said he was not seeking a raise.
“For myself, I’m not interested in talking about pay for elected officials until our people, and when I say that I mean all of the county employees, are where they need to be,” Cradduck said.
“I think we have other issues we need to be thinking about, such as ambulance service,” County Clerk Tena O’Brien said.
MEETING INFORMATION
Committee Meeting
Benton County’s Finance Committee is set to meet at 6 p.m. today in the Quorum Courtroom at the County Administration Building, 215 E. Central Ave. in Bentonville.
“I’m not asking for a raise,” County Assessor Bear Chaney said. “I’m like most people, if they give me a raise I’ll take it, but I’m not asking for one. If they don’t give me a raise I’ll just keep doing my job the same way I’ve been doing.”
The eight countywide elected officials — county judge, sheriff, assessor, collector, county clerk, circuit clerk, treasurer and coroner — received raises in the 2014 budget.
Sarah Daniels, county comptroller, said the pay for county judge and sheriff increased from $84,731.14 in 2013 to $88,054.20 in 2014. Pay for the assessor, collector, county clerk, circuit clerk and treasurer increased from $78,811.20 in 2013 to $81,901.20 in 2014. Those raises amounted to about a 3.9 percent increase, Daniels said. The pay for the county coroner increased from $67,655.64 in 2013 to $75,097.76 in 2014, Daniels said, an increase of about 11 percent.
The pay for justices of the peace was last increased in 2009 when the rate was increased from $300 per month for Quorum Court meetings and $75 for committee meetings, O’Brien said. Justices of the peace are now paid $350 per month for Quorum Court meetings and $100 per committee meetings they attend, if they are members of the committee. The justices of the peace also receive mileage, Daniels said.
Kurt Moore, justice of the peace for District 13, said discussion of pay for justices of the peace is probably past due.
“It’s been several years since it was increased,” he said. “It won’t hurt to talk about it.”