Citizens pay-panel to hear economist

Group sets salaries for elected offices

Arkansas' citizens salary commission plans to meet next month to review the state's economic conditions before deciding whether to meet again to consider the possibility of granting a cost-of-living raise to the state's elected officials, Chairman Larry Ross of Little Rock said Friday.

The seven-member commission will meet May 18 at 9 a.m. in the state Capitol in Little Rock to hear from the state's chief economic forecaster John Shelnutt, Ross said.

"I just wanted to get an update on the economic conditions of the state," he said.

Then, the commission will consider whether to hold another meeting to consider granting "some sort of cost-of-living adjustment" to the state's elected officials, Ross said.

Under Amendment 94 to the Arkansas Constitution, the commission is required to consider "the overall economic condition of the state at that time" when it considers whether or not to "adjust a salary."

If the Legislature is meeting in a legislative session on May 18, the commission will hold its meeting on June 14 at 9 a.m. at the state Capitol, Ross said.

The Legislature is scheduled to convene in a special session on the state's Medicaid program that begins April 6 and then in a fiscal session that begins April 13. After the fiscal session ends, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has said he plans to call a special session on highway funding.

Beyond Ross, the other commissioners are Chuck Banks of Little Rock, Mitch Berry of Little Rock, Barbara Graves of Little Rock, Stuart Hill of Searcy, Brenda James of Little Rock, and Stephen Tipton of Cabot.

In March of 2015, the commission approved raises that sent lawmakers' pay from $15,869 to $39,500 a year and increased pay for the speaker of the House and Senate president pro tempore from $17,771 to $45,000 a year.

In exchange, lawmakers agreed to stop receiving up to $14,400 a year in reimbursements for certain office-related expenses. Measures ending those reimbursements were signed into law last year.

In addition to their salaries, lawmakers on average had previously received at least $30,000 a year for per diem, a daily allowance for lodging, meals and incidentals, reimbursements and other expenses.

The commission also approved pay raises for the governor, from $87,759 to $141,000; attorney general, from $73,132 to $130,000; secretary of state, from $54,848 to $90,000; treasurer, from $54,848 to $85,000; auditor, from $54,848 to $85,000; land commissioner, from $54,848 to $85,000; chief justice, from $161,601 to $180,000; Supreme Court justices, from $149,589 to $166,500; appeals court chief judge, from $147,286 to $164,000; Court of Appeals judges, from $144,982 to $161,500; and state district judges, from $125,495 to $140,000.

Those pay raises became effective March 29, 2015.

Metro on 04/02/2016

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