Applaud council's pay decision

Congratulate Charleston County Council. The members not only refused to accept an automatic pay increase this year, they have rescinded the 1991 policy that has since resulted in increases in those paychecks every two years without a direct vote.

A question raised by Council Member Colleen Condon at a budget session last month is credited with making council aware of the built-in, cost-of-living increases. They were part of a council pay package adopted after a Chamber of Commerce salary study in 1991. That package included new salaries for council — $12,000 for the members and $15,000 for the chairman, beginning in 1993.

Under state law, salary increases for elected officials can't take effect until after a general election — in that instance, November 1992. The policy stipulated that every two years, beginning Jan. 1, 1995, council would receive a cost of living increase — 50 percent of the Southeast Consumer Price Index for each of the two previous years. This year that increase would have totaled $3,237 for all nine members.

Councilman Joe McKeown, who made the motion to permanently rescind the policy, noted that while the amount of money involved isn't large, every appropriation should have council's scrutiny and "an up or down vote," especially something as sensitive as council's compensation.

While legally council had approved previous cost-of-living increases when it approved the final budget, at least in recent years most members apparently weren't aware they were giving themselves a raise. Council salaries now are set at last year's rate of $14,352, with the chairman's pay at $17,352. That's also where they will stay unless, at some future date, members think they can make a case for an increase.

Actually, council deserves applause on several fronts in terms of this year's $171.2 million operating budget. In accordance with a decision last year, this budget no longer includes a controversial $315,000 allocation for outside agencies that allowed each council member to designate $35,000 to their favorite non-profits.

Better yet, according to County Administrator Mack Canterbury, this budget has no tax increase for the general operations or debt retirement.

Good work.