Increase effective next term of office
Elected officeholders in Platte County will receive a six percent increase in salary at the beginning of the next term.
That decision was made last week at a meeting of the Platte County Salary Commission, which is comprised of the current county officeholders. Vote for the pay increase was 7-3, with the three current county commissioners all voting against.
The pay increase cannot take effect until the next term of office to prevent any officeholder from actually voting to have increased his/her own salary. In order to reap a benefit from their vote, current officeholders will have to be re-elected to the position.
The state constitution does not allow county elected officials to receive a pay increase in the middle of their elected terms.
According to information supplied by Kevin Robinson, county auditor, the six percent pay increase will result in the salaries for each office rising to these numbers:
Presiding commissioner: $67,399 effective in 2023.
Associate commissioners: $65,349 effective in 2025
County clerk: $67,399 effective in 2023.
Treasurer: $67,399 effective in 2025.
Assessor: $67,399 effective in 2025.
Collector: $67,399, effective 2023.
Recorder of deeds: $67,399 effective 2023.
Public administrator: $67,399 effective 2025.
Auditor: $67,399 effective 2023.
Officeholders voting in favor of the salary increase were Kevin Robinson, auditor; Sheila Palmer, collector; Nancy Armstrong, county clerk; Shanna Burns, public administrator; Gloria Boyer, recorder of deeds; Mark Owen, sheriff; and Rob Willard, treasurer.
Minutes of the meeting, supplied by the county clerk, show that Boyer nominated Owen to chair the meeting. The sheriff and prosecutor are members of the salary commission, though neither’s salary is affected by actions of the commission. Salaries for the sheriff and prosecutor are instead set by the state legislature.
While the sheriff took part in the meeting, Eric Zahnd, prosecutor, did not. In addition to Zahnd, also absent for the meeting was David Cox, assessor.
Initially, Boyer made a motion to increase the base salary of officeholders by three percent and collector Sheila Palmer seconded that motion. But after further discussion, auditor Robinson made a motion to modify the increase to six percent and treasurer Rob Willard seconded that motion.
The roll call vote:
Ron Schieber, presiding commissioner: No.
Dagmar Wood, first district commissioner: No.
Joe Vanover, second district commissioner: No.
Kevin Robinson, auditor: Yes.
Sheila Palmer, county collector: Yes.
Nancy Armstrong, county clerk: Yes.
Shanna Burns public administrator: Yes.
Gloria Boyer, recorder of deeds: Yes.
Mark Owen, sheriff: Yes.
Rob Willard, treasurer: Yes.