The Lewis County Courthouse
Lewis County commissioners officially approved a salary increase for elected officials Monday. Those officials — the assessor, auditor, clerk, coroner, prosecutor, sheriff, and treasurer — have already seen the increase in their paychecks, since the resolution, agreed on earlier this month, was retroactive.
The 10 percent increases were recommended by a citizen-led salary commission, and were based on cost-of-living adjustments. They represent the first cost-of-living adjustment some electeds have seen since 2014.
Earlier this year, commissioners received the same increase but voted to deny the adjustment to other electeds, saying it would be inappropriate to raise elected salaries during a pandemic. Lewis County Assessor Dianne Dorey, among others, pushed back. On Monday, Dorey noted how long the process took.
“We started this whole process a year ago in July, and all three commissioners voted to go through the process,” Dorey said. “It took till October of this year to get it accomplished.”
The reversal was spurred by optimistic budgetary projections for 2021 — a surprise to some county officials, considering the impact the pandemic had on many businesses.
After the increase, Lewis County’s auditor, assessor, clerk, and coroner now make $82,624 per year. The prosecuting attorney makes $181,684, and the treasurer makes $82,624.
