SB427 INTR

Senate Bill No. 427
(By Senator Mitchell, Kessler, Burnette and Unger)
____________

[Introduced January 28, 2002; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance

____________

A BILL to amend and reenact section four, article seven, chapter seven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to providing a cost-of-living salary increase for county prosecuting attorneys.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section four, article seven, chapter seven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES, ETC.; COMPENSATION OF ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS; COUNTY ASSISTANTS, DEPUTIES AND EMPLOYEES, THEIR NUMBER AND COMPENSATION.

§7-7-4. Compensation of elected county officials and county commissioners for each class of county; effective date.

(a) (1) All county commissioners shall be paid compensation out of the county treasury in amounts and according to the schedule hereafter set forth for each class of county as determined by the provisions of section three of this article: Provided, That as to any county having a tribunal in lieu of a county commission, the county commissioners of the county may be paid less than the minimum compensation limits of the county commission for the particular class of such county.

Class I

$20,000

Class II

$15,500

Class III

$14,000

Class IV

$10,000

Class V

$ 7,000

Class VI

$ 4,000

The compensation hereinabove provided shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-five, to each county commissioner. Within each county, every county commissioner whose term of office commenced prior to the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty- five, shall receive the same annual compensation as commissioners commencing a term of office on or after that date by virtue of the new duties imposed upon county commissioners pursuant to the provisions of chapter fifteen, acts of the Legislature, first extraordinary session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-three.

(2) For the purpose of determining the compensation to be paid to the elected county officials of each county, the following compensations for each county office by class are hereby established and shall be used by each county commission in determining the compensation of each of their county officials other than compensation of members of the county commission:

County

Circuit

Prosecuting

Sheriff

Clerk

Assessor

Attorney
Class I

$24,200

$31,300

$24,200

$41,500
Class II

$24,200

$28,000

$24,200

$39,500
Class III

$24,200

$28,000

$24,200

$30,000
Class IV

$22,300

$24,000

$22,300

$26,500
Class V

$20,400

$22,000

$20,400

$23,500
Class VI

$17,200

$17,000

Any county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, county assessor, sheriff and prosecuting attorney of a Class I county, any assessor of a Class II and Class III county, any sheriff of a Class II and Class III county and any prosecuting attorney of a Class II county shall devote full time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment: Provided, That any public official, whose term of office begins when his or her county's classification imposes no restriction on his or her outside activities, shall not be restricted on his or her outside activities during the remainder of the term for which he or she is elected. The compensation hereinabove provided shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-five, to each elected county official. In the case of a county that has a joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, the compensation of the joint clerk shall be fixed in an amount twenty-five percent higher than the compensation would be fixed for the county clerk if it had separate offices of county clerk and circuit clerk.

The Legislature finds as a fact that the duties imposed upon county clerks by the provisions of chapter sixty-four, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-two, and by chapter fifteen, acts of the Legislature, first extraordinary session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-three, constitute new and additional duties for county clerks and as such justify the additional compensation provided in this section without violating the provisions of section 38, article VI of the Constitution of West Virginia.

The Legislature further finds as a fact that the duties imposed upon circuit clerks by the provisions of chapters sixty-one and one hundred eighty-two, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-one, and by chapter sixty, acts of the Legislature, regular session, one thousand nine hundred eighty-three, constitute new and additional duties for circuit clerks and as such justify the additional compensation provided by this section without violating the provisions of section 38, article VI of the Constitution of West Virginia.

(b) Prior to the primary election in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, and for the fiscal year beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, or for any subsequent fiscal year if the approval set out herein is not granted for any fiscal year, and at least thirty days prior to the meeting to approve the county budget, the commission shall provide notice to the public of the date and time of the meeting and that the purpose of the meeting of the county commission is to decide upon their budget certification to the tax department. Upon submission by the county commission to the chief inspector division of the department of tax and revenue of a proposed annual budget which contains anticipated receipts into the county's general revenue fund, less anticipated moneys from the unencumbered fund balance, equal to anticipated receipts into the county's general revenue fund, less anticipated moneys from the unencumbered fund balance and any federal or state special grants, for the immediately preceding fiscal year, plus such additional amount as is necessary for payment of the increases in the salaries set out herein and related employment taxes over that paid for the immediately preceding fiscal year, and upon approval thereof by the chief inspector, which approval shall not be granted for any proposed annual budget containing anticipated receipts which are unreasonably greater or lesser than that of the immediately preceding fiscal year, for the purpose of determining the compensation to be paid to the elected county officials of each county office by class are hereby established and shall be used by each county commission in determining the compensation of each of their county officials: Provided, That as to any county having a tribunal in lieu of a county commission, the county commissioners of the county may be paid less than the minimum compensation limits of the county commission for the particular class of the county.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Class I

$24,000

Class II

$18,600

Class III

$16,800

Class IV

$12,000

Class V

$ 8,400

If the approval set out hereinabove is granted, the compensation hereinabove provided shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, to each county commissioner. Within each county, every county commissioner shall receive the same annual compensation by virtue of the new duties imposed upon county commissioners pursuant to the provisions of chapter one hundred seventy-two, acts of the Legislature, second regular session, one thousand nine hundred ninety, and chapter five, acts of the Legislature, third extraordinary session, one thousand nine hundred ninety.
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS

County

Circuit

Prosecuting

Sheriff

Clerk

Assessor

Attorney
Class I

$29,040

$37,560

$29,040

$59,500
Class II

$29,040

$33,600

$29,040

$59,500
Class III

$29,040

$33,600

$29,040

$36,000
Class IV

$26,760

$28,800

$26,760

$31,800
Class V

$24,480

$26,400

$24,480

$28,200
Class VI

$24,480

$26,400

$24,480

$28,200

Any county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, county assessor, sheriff and prosecuting attorney of a Class I county, any assessor of a Class II and Class III county, any sheriff of a Class II and Class III county and any prosecuting attorney of a Class II county shall devote full time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment: Provided, That any public official, whose term of office begins when his or her county's classification imposes no restriction on his or her outside activities, shall not be restricted on his or her outside activities during the remainder of the term for which he or she is elected. If the approval set out hereinabove is granted, the compensation hereinabove provided shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, to each elected county official.

In the case of a county that has a joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, the compensation of the joint clerk shall be fixed in an amount twenty-five percent higher than the compensation would be fixed for the county clerk if it had separate offices of county clerk and circuit clerk.

Prior to the primary election in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-two, in the case of a Class III, Class IV or Class V county which has a part-time prosecuting attorney, the county commission may find that such facts and circumstances exist that require the prosecuting attorney to devote full time to his or her public duties for the four-year term, beginning the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three. If the county commission makes such a finding, it may by proper order adopted and entered, require the prosecuting attorney who takes office on the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, to devote full time to his or her public duties and the county commission shall then compensate said prosecuting attorney at the same rate of compensation as that of a prosecuting attorney in a Class II county.

For any county: (1) Which on and after the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, is classified as a Class II county; and (2) which prior to such date was classified as a Class III, Class IV or Class V county and maintained a part-time prosecuting attorney, the county commission may elect to maintain the prosecuting attorney as a part-time prosecuting attorney: Provided, That prior to the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, the county commission shall make a finding, by proper order and entered, whether to maintain a full-time or part-time prosecuting attorney. The part-time prosecuting attorney shall be compensated at the same rate of compensation as that of a prosecuting attorney in the class for the county prior to being classified as a Class II county.

(c) Prior to the primary election in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, and for the fiscal year beginning on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, or for any subsequent fiscal year if the approval set out herein is not granted for any fiscal year, and at least thirty days prior to the meeting to approve the county budget, the commission shall provide notice to the public of the date and time of the meeting and that the purpose of the meeting of the county commission is to decide upon their budget certification to the tax department. Upon submission by the county commission to the chief inspector division of the department of tax and revenue of a proposed annual budget which contains anticipated receipts into the county's general revenue fund, less anticipated moneys from the unencumbered fund balance, equal to anticipated receipts into the county's general revenue fund, less anticipated moneys from the unencumbered fund balance and any federal or state special grants, for the fiscal year beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-six, plus such additional amount as is necessary for payment of the increases in the salaries set out herein and related employment taxes over that paid for the immediately preceding fiscal year, and upon approval thereof by the chief inspector, which approval shall not be granted for any proposed annual budget containing anticipated receipts which are unreasonably greater or lesser than that of the immediately preceding fiscal year for the purpose of determining the compensation to be paid to the elected county officials of each county office by class are hereby established and shall be used by each county commission in determining whether county revenues are sufficient to pay the compensation mandated herein for their county officials: Provided, That as to any county having a tribunal in lieu of a county commission, the county commissioners of the county may be paid less than the minimum compensation limits of the county commission for the particular class of the county: Provided, however, That should there be an insufficient projected increase in revenues to pay the compensation and related employment taxes mandated herein, then the compensation of that county's elected officials shall remain at the level in effect at the time certification was sought.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Class I

$28,000

Class II

$27,500

Class III

$27,000

Class IV

$26,500

Class V

$26,000

Class VI

$21,500

Class VII

$ 21,000

Class VIII

$19,000

Class IX

$18,500

Class X

$15,000

The compensation hereinabove provided shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, to each county commissioner. Within each county, every county commissioner whose term of office commenced prior to or on or after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety- seven, shall receive the same annual compensation by virtue of legislative findings of extra duties as set forth in section one of this article.

For the purpose of determining the compensation to be paid to the elected county officials of each county, the following compensations for each county office by class are hereby established and shall be used by each county commission in determining the compensation of each of their county officials other than compensation of members of the county commission:
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS

County

Circuit

Prosecuting

Sheriff

Clerk

Assessor

Attorney
Class I

$34,000

$42,000

$34,000

$76,000
Class II

$33,500

$41,500

$33,500

$74,000
Class III

$33,250

$40,500

$33,250

$72,000
Class IV

$33,000

$40,250

$33,000

$70,000
Class V

$32,750

$40,000

$32,750

$68,000
Class VI

$32,500

$37,500

$32,500

$45,000
Class VII

$32,250

$37,000

$32,250

$43,000
Class VIII

$32,000

$36,500

$32,000

$41,000
Class IX

$31,750

$36,000

$31,750

$38,000
Class X

$29,000

$32,000

$29,000

$35,000

The compensation hereinabove provided shall be paid on and after the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, to each elected county official: Provided, That, beginning on the first day of January, two thousand three and each year thereafter, the salary paid to prosecuting attorneys shall reflect cost-of-living increases based on the consumer price index. The first cost-of-living increase implemented hereunder shall reflect the change in the cost-of-living since the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred ninety- seven. Any county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, county assessor or sheriff of a Class I through Class V county, inclusive, any assessor or any sheriff of a Class VI through Class IX county, inclusive, shall devote full time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment: Provided, That any public official, whose term of office begins when his or her county's classification imposes no restriction on his or her outside activities, shall not be restricted on his or her outside activities during the remainder of the term for which he or she is elected.

Any prosecuting attorney of a Class I through Class V county, inclusive, shall devote full time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment: Provided, That any county which under the prior provisions of this section was classified as a Class II county and elected to maintain a part-time prosecutor may continue to maintain a part-time prosecutor, until such time as the county commission, on request of the part-time prosecutor, approves and makes a finding, by proper order entered, that the prosecuting attorney shall devote full time to his or her public duties. The county commission shall then compensate said prosecuting attorney at the same rate of compensation as that of a prosecuting attorney in a Class V county: Provided, however, That any county which under the prior provisions of this section was classified as a Class II county and which did not elect to maintain a part-time prosecutor shall maintain a full-time prosecuting attorney and shall compensate said prosecuting attorney at the same rate of compensation as that of a prosecuting attorney in a Class V county: Provided further, That, until the first day of January, two thousand one, when a vacancy occurs in the office of prosecuting attorney prior to the end of a term, the county commission of a Class IV or Class V county may elect to allow the position to become part time for the end of that term, and thereafter the position of prosecuting attorney shall become full time.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide a cost-of- living salary increase for county prosecuting attorneys.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.