Leaders picked for panel on raising officials' pay

State Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang presided over a meeting of the independent citizens commission Thursday until its members elected their leadership. The members will review the salaries of state elected officials to determine whether they should be increased.
State Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang presided over a meeting of the independent citizens commission Thursday until its members elected their leadership. The members will review the salaries of state elected officials to determine whether they should be increased.

The state's citizens commission considering raising the annual salaries of the state's elected officials Thursday elected former state Ethics Commissioner Larry Ross of Sherwood as its chairman and attorney Chuck Banks of Little Rock as its vice chairman.

Banks, an attorney and a former U.S. attorney, said the commission should initially focus on reviewing the salary levels for the governor and attorney general. But he backed off after Commissioner Mitch Berry, also a Little Rock attorney, said he wants to review the salaries of all the state's elected officials before deciding on which ones to focus.

The governor's annual salary is $87,759, while the attorney general's annual salary is $73,132.

Amendment 94 to the Arkansas Constitution -- approved by voters as Issue 3 in the Nov. 4 election -- shifted the responsibility for changing the annual salaries of the state's elected officials from the Legislature to what the amendment calls an "independent citizens commission." The amendment also extends term limits for state lawmakers, imposes a ban on certain gifts from lobbyists to the state's elected officials and bars direct corporate and union contributions to candidates.

Earlier this month, House and Senate leaders and the governor each appointed two commission members, and the state Supreme Court chief justice appointed another.

During the commission's first meeting, Berry nominated Banks to be the commission's chairman Thursday. Then, former Little Rock City Director Barbara Graves nominated Ross for the post.

Ross, who is a consultant, said he would agree to serve as the commission's chairman only if Banks agreed to serve as its vice chairman. Banks agreed and the commission elected the duo.

Ross told the commissioners that he "will do my best to steer the commission to do objective work."

"I don't have any preconceived notions at all," he said.

Under Amendment 94, the commission is required to conduct an initial review of the salaries of the state's elected officials. It also must make recommendations to legislative leaders by Feb. 2 on amounts paid for per diem and mileage and expense reimbursements, Assistant Attorney General Brandon Robinson told the commission.

Banks said Amendment 94 allows for the commission to review the salaries of the state's elected officials "with some degree of thoroughness and deliberation," and then decide later whether to change the salaries.

"I read this being a two-part process -- not a 30-day lightning-speed get all this done, get the salaries discussed and deliberated and receive public comment [on proposed salary changes]," he said. "That seems to me as a requirement that would be almost logistically not possible unless we wanted to all [move to] the Marriott [and meet nonstop]."

The commissioners agreed to meet again on Dec. 30, Jan. 7 and Jan. 14, with each meeting starting at 8:30 a.m. The locations will be decided by Ross and Banks.

The commission decided to ask a representative of the state Department of Finance and Administration for a briefing on the state's economy during its next meeting. Amendment 94 requires the commission to consider "the overall economic condition of the state" in making decisions about salary changes for the state's elected officials.

The commission also asked for information about salary levels of elected officials in other states for its next meeting.

"Given the serious time constraints, we need to move the ball downfield," said Banks, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2006.

"The two most obvious salary requirements right now would be, first, the attorney general because of the importance and the complexities of the job and possibly next the governor," he said. "If you get that information quickly as to the size, the economics and demographics of other states, then we can search for a base line possibly to give us an opportunity to pursue."

Banks said he wants to review the salaries of all the state's elected officials as required by Amendment 94, "but we [can] start breaking it down into bite-size chunks."

But Berry, who is the son of former Democratic U.S. Rep. Marion Berry of Gillett, said the commission's first task "is to just review and to review ... we have to have someone tell us what the current salaries are, and what the current expense reimbursements are as well as the rates and the rules that are followed, and the same thing for mileage and per diem for the Legislature."

"Let's review what we have in place now and then start researching other alternatives if you deem that to be necessary," he said.

Banks replied that "the point [is] well taken ... I move to strike my comments."

Under Amendment 94, the commission can increase, but not decrease, the salaries of judges. The commission can raise or cut salaries for the other state elected officials.

The commission can initially increase the salaries as much as they wish.

Future salary changes are barred from exceeding 15 percent at any one time under the amendment. The commission is required to meet at least one a year.

If the commission proposes to adjust salaries of the state's elected officials, it is required to seek public comment under the amendment. Then, it it may file the salary changes with the state auditor, and the salary changes become effective 10 days after the filing.

The annual salaries for the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore are $17,771, while the other 99 representatives and 34 senators are paid $15,869 a year. On average in 2013, legislators were also paid $35,333 each for per diem, mileage and other expense reimbursements.

The secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and land commissioner each have annual salaries of $54,848. The lieutenant governor's annual salary is $42,315.

The annual salary for the Supreme Court's chief justice is $161,601; the other six justices earn $149,589 a year. The annual pay for the Court of Appeals' chief judge is $147,286; the Court of Appeals' other 11 other judges earn $144,982 a year.

The annual pay for the state's circuit judges is $140,372, while district judges get $125,495.

Metro on 12/19/2014

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