Lane County’s top elected officials will soon get a raise. The Board of County Commissioners voted to increase their own pay Tuesday, as well as the salaries of the sheriff, assessor, district attorney and justice of the peace.
Commissioners were following the recommendations of an independent compensation board, which is required by county charter to review elected officials' pay.
The compensation board’s chair, Brett Williams, said the suggested increases are similar to what regular county employees receive. He said it’s meant to ensure Lane County is a competitive employer.
"Attracting and retaining the best talent for elected official positions is critical to providing high quality service to the residents of the county," Williams told commissioners prior to Tuesday’s decision.
He said the group reviewed similar Oregon counties and found Lane County Commissioners’ pay was trailing behind by about 13%.
All Lane County elected officials received a 2.7% cost of living adjustment, and commissioners received an additional 6.2% market adjustment. That brings commissioners’ salaries up to $124,000, starting Jan. 1, 2027.
All other elected officials’ pay changes will be retroactive to July.
The votes to increase pay for elected officials were unanimous, except for commissioner pay. David Loveall – who will leave office at the end of the year – voted no.
He also voted against increasing his own pay when the issue was previously before the commissioners.
Members of the compensation board said if commissioners hadn’t approved the increase, they likely would have proposed a double-digit hike during the next review, which would have a bigger budget impact.
Commissioners previously voted to give themselves a 30% increase in 2023 after several years of forgoing cost of living increases.
