Rescind automatic pay hikes
Fortunately, Charleston County Council Member Colleen Condon had her ears open at a recent budget planning session. To the surprise of Ms. Condon, and, apparently most of council, her questioning brought to light a 17-year-old policy that provides a built-in, "cost of living" increase for the members every two years. Council should not only reject the increase but rescind a policy that allows council members to get an automatic salary hike without public discussion.
According to council's minutes, the policy dates back to a 1991 study of county elected officials' salaries by a Chamber of Commerce committee. That was the year council set new salaries — $12,000 for members and $15,000 for the chairman — beginning in 2003. State law prohibits local elected officials from raising their own salaries until after an election.
That was the year council members also agreed to raise future council's salaries each January following an election. The formula stipulates the increase will be 50 percent of the Southeast Consumer Price Index for each of the two previous years to become effective Jan 1, 1995. Since that time, council salaries have gone to $14,352, with the chairman's pay now at $17, 352. In accordance with the policy, because this is an election year, the automatic pay hikes would kick in next January, putting council's salary at $14,603 and the chairman's paycheck at $17,603.
Fortunately, according to our report, Ms. Condon waved a red flag when she heard that council had such a salary policy and several other members echoed her concern. For example, Councilman Paul Thurmond said the automatic increase "seems to be totally ridiculous."
In fact, we know of no other county that has such a policy. A staff member of the S.C. Association of Counties found nothing similar in a survey done some years ago, but did recall that the issue arose in Horry County. An official for that county tells us the pay hike was rescinded and the money returned after council members learned they couldn't legally give themselves a cost of living increase without an intervening election.
While Charleston's automatic pay increases do appear to have met the legal tests, the policy has allowed council to avoid following the spirit of the law. The law clearly was intended to give voters a heads up when elected officials raise their pay and the opportunity to vote for or against those involved before the increases take effect. But if the increases are automatically inserted in a budget by virtue of a little-remembered policy and no mention is made in open sessions, how is the public to stay informed?
There apparently is at least some sentiment within council to determine how the members' salaries stack up with other counties in the state. No harm in checking. But if council members believe the office they hold deserves a raise, they should be required to make their case in public and those in favor and opposed should be clearly recorded. Meanwhile, council should eliminate a policy that fails the accountability test by allowing members to get a pay hike without even asking.
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