County elected officials get pay raise

The Flathead County commissioners on Tuesday approved a 2.1 percent pay raise for themselves and other county elected officials.

With the pay increase, the annual salary for each of the three commissioners will be $71,185 starting in the new fiscal year that begins July 1.

Several other elected officials will be at the $71,185 salary level, including the clerk of district court, county treasurer, clerk and recorder and superintendent of schools.

The county attorney is the highest paid elected position; with the raise that job pays $110,123.

The sheriff/coroner position is the second-highest salary currently, at $102,362. However, that amount reflects a base salary of $71,185 plus earned longevity of current Sheriff Chuck Curry. After Curry retires at the end of the year and the newly elected sheriff takes office, the salary reverts to $71,185 plus any earned longevity.

The justice of the peace department 1 position will earn $81,650 with the pay raise.

The department 2 justice of the peace salary is $91,040 with the increase, but also comes with a caveat because of the upcoming election. The amount reflects a base salary of $81,650 plus longevity for the current justice of the peace. When a new justice takes office in January the salary will be $81,650, according to a county resolution.

The commissioners also approved a human-resource transmittal that applies a 2.1 percent cost-of-living adjustment to the revised pay matrix, the attorney pay matrix and non-union positions in the Sheriff’s Office that are not classified on a pay matrix or calculated from the elected sheriff’s wage; those positions include the detention chief, assistant chief detention officer and the sheriff financial assistant.

Several employment contracts with the various unions serving county employees are being negotiated.

Features Editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.