Courthouse Officials Seeking A Pay Boost Four Elected Officials Say Some Workers Make More Than They Do; Mccaslin Not Eager To Vote Raises For All

Spokane County commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to give four other elected officials a raise now in exchange for cost-of-living increases they would have received later.

One commissioner said she’ll vote against the package because it includes county Assessor Charlene Cooney.

“I don’t think the assessor has performed well,” said Commissioner Kate McCaslin. “I don’t think the assessor deserves a raise. We’ve got all these problems” in the assessor’s office.

Contacted at her office Friday, Cooney said, “I have no response to that.”

In 1989, wages for Cooney, county Auditor Bill Donahue, Treasurer Linda Wolverton and Clerk Tom Falquist were set at 95 percent of the wages paid the three commissioners. Each year since, the wages for all seven elected officials have increased 2 percent - less than the cost-of-living increases given most county employees.

In recent months, the four elected administrators have complained that a few of their employees make more than they do. The elected administrators earn about $55,000 a year, ranking 39th among all county positions, including judges, commissioners and others.

Ben Duncan, county director of human relations, is recommending that Cooney and her peers be paid $59,000, with no annual increases. The salary would be reviewed again in 1999 by a citizens advisory committee.

In addition to considering the wages of others, commissioners will decide Tuesday whether to freeze the salary for their own position at $61,000, starting with the next term of office.

In the meantime, commissioners, who earn about $58,000, would continue getting 2 percent raises every year. They are forbidden by law from changing the salary for the current term.

Wolverton said the county isn’t offering nearly enough to her and her three colleagues. Based on wages in other counties, and adjusting them to match Spokane’s cost-of-living, they should earn $67,000, Wolverton said.

Duncan agreed that wages for the four positions are not competitive with other counties, or with private industry.

“To jump things up to $67,000 would have been a big drain,” he said. “We had to look at what’s fair, and also what we can afford.”

Wolverton is not the first elected official to be disappointed after a salary review.

Last year, commissioners Phil Harris and Steve Hasson voted to freeze Sheriff John Goldman’s salary at $90,344 until the end of his term. Then it will be cut to $70,000.

, DataTimes