The Monroe County Council wants to give elected county officials 8.5 percent raises next year based on an increased cost of living.
Council members unanimously recommended doing so at a recent meeting on the 2024 budget.
County Auditor Catherine Smith, who is nearing the end of her elected term, said she supports the measure.
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“I would like us to send a message to the world, to the community, to the county, to the world: that we really do believe in equality; equality in pay, equality in the way we care about each other, and equality in the way we serve each other,” Smith said.
The raises will apply to the county assessor, auditor, clerk, commissioners, coroner, county council members, recorder, surveyor and treasurer.
But council member Peter Iversen acknowledged the disparities between certain salaries.
“We are investigating ways to bring up those lower salaries, we are working on ways to address those things, especially in this time where it is so hard to you've seen costs rise.”
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The council also supports 8.5 percent raises for county employees, though some members say they worry about how the increases will affect future budgets.
The raises have not been finalized yet, as the council won’t take a final vote on the proposed budget until Oct. 17th.
