All of state government's elected officials except the lieutenant governor will receive 2 percent pay increases next month, the commission that sets their salaries decided Tuesday.
In a 4-0 vote with three commissioners absent, the Independent Citizens Commission approved its proposed raises for the elected officials. It also heeded Republican Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin's request not to grant him an increase from $42,315 to $43,161 a year.
The lieutenant governor's job is considered to be part-time, so he makes less in annual salary than the other six constitutional officers.
Griffin said in a letter dated Monday to the commission that he would decline to accept the raise if granted. He cited the state's tight budget and hardworking Arkansans' need for more tax relief.
[DATABASE: Search salaries of state employees in the 2017 fiscal year]
Senate Democratic leader Keith Ingram of West Memphis asked the commission in a letter dated June 23 to postpone any raises for state lawmakers and the lieutenant governor, which he considers part-time jobs. Ingram said he was concerned that citizen lawmakers "will evolve to full-time politicians" and also worries about "the fragile status of the state's budget."
The commission granted substantial increases to most of the officials two years ago and then decided against any raises last year. Last week, in proposing this year's raises, the commissioners said that inflation is about 2 percent, that the increase would be fair and that they want to gradually increase salaries.
The commission was created under Amendment 94 to the Arkansas Constitution. Voters approved the amendment in 2014.
During Tuesday's meeting, Commissioner Mitch Berry of Little Rock said he's "kind of torn here with regard to Sen. Ingram's letter and the lieutenant governor's comments.
"In a way, we're set up to act independently of the political world, although politics always invades everything," he said.
"We're also set up to operate outside the normal budget process. But I don't think we can entirely ignore ... the larger budget," Berry said.
Commissioner Barbara Graves of Little Rock said the perception is that state lawmakers and the lieutenant governor are considered to have part-time jobs, but House Speaker Jeremy Gillam, R-Judsonia, and Senate President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, "talked to us at length that they are never off duty."
"They go out to eat. They're on duty. They get retirement [benefits]. They get paid mileage when they incur it," she said. "I don't really want to open up the debate whether they are full time or part time.
"This is not a significant raise. This is a cost-of-living raise. I think it's deserved by everybody equally at this time," Graves said.
"Next year, depending on what happens and what we review, we could certainly look at different percentages for different groups. We took no action last year, and this is just a basic cost-of-living increase."
Commissioner Larry Ross of Sherwood urged the commission to consider Griffin's request not to grant him a pay raise this year because the lieutenant governor didn't get a raise in 2015 when the commission granted pay raises to the other officials.
"My only concern is why would we want to do it now since the precedent has been set," he said.
Graves said that could put the commission in an awkward position of a future lieutenant governor asking for a pay raise to make up for past ones that weren't granted.
"I know there is a lot of controversy on the office, but again that is not our jurisdiction," she said.
Commissioner Chuck Banks of Little Rock said he saw Graves' point.
"But I don't really think that would be a valid argument. I don't think that's retroactive," he said.
"I don't think we need to force a raise on an office that the head seems to think it's not necessary for whatever reason, as long as we are not mistreating employees in the office," Banks said.
Afterward, Graves said she voted with the three other commissioners on not giving Griffin a raise even though she preferred that everyone get a raise.
"To pass it so that everyone gets their raise and not hold it up it was a minor acquiescence on my part," she said.
Commissioners Stephen Tipton of Cabot, Stuart Hill of Searcy and Brenda James of Little Rock were absent from Tuesday's meeting because they each had previous commitments, Ross told his three colleagues at the meeting.
The 2 percent raise will boost the salaries for the House speaker and Senate president pro tempore from $45,000 to $45,900 a year and increase the salaries of other senators and representatives from $39,400 to $40,188 a year.
Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin's annual salary will rise from $90,000 to $91,800 with the 2 percent increase, but his spokesman said Monday that he opposed the proposed increase and that if it were granted, "he would refuse to accept it and would instead donate it toward the purchase of new election equipment."
Martin spokesman Chris Powell said Tuesday that Martin stands by his statement.
Asked if Martin would donate the full amount of the raise or the amount after taxes are deducted, Powell said, "I don't have any further details or comments on that at this time."
Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson's salary will increase from $141,000 to $143,820.
Hutchinson said Tuesday that "the Independent Citizens Commission was established by a Constitutional amendment and a vote of the people to provide an independent body to set salaries, and I respect its recommendation."
"My tenure as governor is temporary, but the work of the commission will continue long after my time in this office is over. The commission is making salary decisions looking to the future, and it is my policy to let them do their work independently and to abide by the commission's decision," he said.
Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's annual salary will increase from $130,000 to $132,600.
"The Independent Citizens Commission has reached this decision independently, and I respect that decision," Rutledge said in a written statement.
"While I did not ask for an increase, I believe that state law prohibits me from rejecting the Commission's decision. Arkansas's adherence to majority rule that when the salary of a public official is fixed by law, the official cannot waive such compensation because such waiver is contrary to public policy. A previous Attorney General opinion from 2009 notes this, and I believe it is still applicable," Rutledge said
Republican state Treasurer Dennis Milligan's salary will increase from $85,000 to $86,700 a year.
"We respect the work of the Independent Citizens Commission and value its opinion," Milligan said in a written statement. "Having said that, I think it's prudent to set aside at least a portion of any unexpected increase in income for future use, so I have decided to take the raise and increase my contributions to my grandchildren's Arkansas 529 College Investing Plan administered by my office."
Republican state Land Commissioner John Thurston's pay will go from $85,000 to $86,700.
"I am grateful for my job and also of the position of allowing the ICC to do their job and respectful of their decisions. I am grateful for my job and any compensation that I receive," he said in an interview.
Republican state Auditor Andrea Lea's pay will increase from $85,000 to $86,700.
"The People voted to setup the Independent Citizens Commission to independently make this decision. I respect their diligence and will accept their recommendation," Lea said in a written statement.
The commission granted 2 percent raises to the state's Supreme Court members, after the state's high court asked for 11 percent raises.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Dan Kemp asked the commission to boost the annual salary of the chief justice to $199,800. The commission's 2 percent increase will increase that salary to $183,600 from $180,000.
Kemp asked the commission to approve a salary of $184,815 for the six other justices. The commission approved an increase to $169,830 from $166,500.
Afterward, Kemp said: "I'm pleased with their decision. I'm glad to get a raise."
A Section on 06/28/2017