Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sheriff salary goes up 10% for next year
COLFAX — Whitman County elected officials to get a 7% raise next year, while the sheriff’s pay goes up 10%.
The county’s volunteer salary commission met on May 18 to decide the pay scale for 2022.
Last year, no raise was provided for 2021 as a result of tighter budgets after the arrival of COVID-19. The year before, raises were 3%.
The increase for 2022 was set at twice the usual 3% per-year cost of living increase plus a little more, according to the commission report.
The salary commission is comprised of 10 people, four from specific industries by state law, and then six are drawn at random from voter rolls and asked to join.
The group meets in May every year to make decisions for the following year.
Changes are often made by comparing pay rates in similar-sized counties such as Douglas, Kittitas, Jefferson, Stevens, and Okanogan.
The Whitman County sheriff’s annual salary in 2022 is about $118,000. It compares with the Pullman Police chief’s salary. The sheriff’s past raises were 9% in 2013, 7.4% in 2017, and 10% in 2019.
County commissioners’ pay increases their annual salaries by $5,208 to $79,632, according to county records.
In the past, county officials received varied raises:
• 2012 – No county elected officials received a raise
• 2013 – County commissioners pay increased 7.9%, all others 9%
• 2014 to 2016 – Raises for elected officials spanned from 2-2.4%
• 2020 – Officials receive a 3% salary increase
• 2021 – No county elected officials received a raise
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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