Elected officials pay raised

Action taken during the 2022 Mississippi Legisla­tive Session granted pay increases to 17 elected officials in Kemper County.

Two of the pay raise bills passed will go into effect without the need of local action, but the pay adjustments for the supervisors, the justice court judges, and the county prosecuting at­torney required approval by the board of supervi­sors.

Those two actions were passed by the Kemper County Board of Super­visors in April on a 3-2 vote. Senate Bill 2719 raises the board mem­bers salaries to $50K an­nually from the current $46,041 rate. District 3 Supervisor Scott John­son and District 4 Super­visor Mike Luke, whose salary is limited due to him drawing state retire­ment, voted against the pay raises. Despite vot­ing nay, Johnson will still receive the increase by law.

Johnson said he voted against the raise because part of his campaign platform when running for supervisor was that he would not vote him­self a pay raise. Luke ac­knowledged the raise would not have affected him, but said he voted against it because he felt that would be the tax­payers wishes.

The same bill, upon its passage, increased the justice court judge salaries and county pros­ecuting attorney salaries to $50K from its current rate of $46,041.

The supervisors, justice court judge, and county prosecuting attorney in­creases will take effect on July 1 of this year.

Other salaries raised by legislative action are as follows:

— Sheriff’s pay for counties with a total population of not more than 12,500 will be raised from $75,000 to $80,000 effective Oct. 1. According to House Bill 1408 this excludes $10,000 discretionary an­nual supplement and $15,600 for regional cor­rectional facility.

— The same bill also in­creases the per diem rate for election commis­sion by $10 to S110 for days actually employed in the conduct of an elec­tion and necessary time for voter roll revision and a per diem rate increase of $15 daily to $165 on election days. This is also effective on Oct. 1.

— The cap for fees that can be received annually by the Chancery Clerk and Circuit Clerk has been upped $5,000 to $99,500.

According to House Bill 719 the circuit clerk shall receive compensation from the Board of Supe­riors of $5,000 per year in performance of elec­tion and other duties, an increase of $2,500. The chancery clerk will re­ceive $5,500 for being clerk of the board, an in­crease of $2,500. The Chancery Clerk will also receive $2,500 annually for attending board meetings.

Increases for both the Circuit Clerk and Chancery Clerk will be effective Jan. 1, 2024.

— House Bill 719 also increases the tax asses­sor/collector salary for counties having a total assessed valuation of $250M but less tan $500M to $63,800 annu­ally, an increase of $5,000. The base salary excludes $5,000 com­pensation paid to a per­son serving as both tax assessor and tax collec­tor. The raise is effective Jan. 1, 2024.

— The same bill in­creases the coroner’s fee for each completed re­port of investigation of death to $185, an in­crease of $10, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

— House Bill 719 also increases the constables fee for allowance for lost cost paid by the board of supervisors to $4,500. That’s an increase of $2,500. It will be effec­tive July 1, 2022 for the next fiscal year.