Lee County finance committee approves $85,000 base salary for clerk and treasurer; 3–2 vote

The Lee County Finance Committee voted 3–2 to approve a resolution raising the base salary for the county clerk and the county treasurer to $85,000 and tying future annual raises to the lesser of the consumer price index or 3%, capped at 3% and with CPI not allowed to reduce the salary below the prior year.

The measure was moved in committee as a single resolution and seconded; committee members debated whether to separate the two elected-officer pay increases into individual resolutions and whether it was appropriate to act during an election cycle. Finance director Reed (presenting the motion) moved the proposal, and Mike Book seconded it. In a recorded roll call, Jim Scheelein voted yes, Nancy Naylor voted no, Mike Book voted yes, Reid Acree voted yes and Jason Anderson voted no. The chair announced the motion passed 3–2 and said it would be noted to the executive committee.

Why it matters: under the Local Government Officer Compensation Act, counties must fix compensation for certain elected officers at least 180 days before the start of the next term; committee counsel Ali told members that timing requirements make now the proper window to act. Supporters said the proposed base aligns Lee County with comparable counties and provides a predictable, CPI-linked increase; critics said approving a pay change in the middle of an election cycle is poor practice and called for more analysis of long-term cost implications.

Supporters
nd rationale: Reed, who introduced the motion, said the $85,000 base and the CPI-or-3% formula reflect comparable counties and provide a consistent approach to pay increases. "I moved that we make the base compensation to increase to $85,000 with each subsequent year shall increase by the lesser of the consumer price index or 3% applied to the prior year's salary," Reed said during the motion.

Opposition and timing concerns: multiple members warned about timing and fiscal impact. One committee member argued it was "wrong to change the rules in the middle of a game," saying acting during an election cycle and without fuller long-term cost data would be unfair to voters and taxpayers. Another member urged a separate resolution for each office so the board could consider differences in responsibilities and merit separately.

Legal context and next steps: committee counsel Ali reminded committee members of the statutory timing requirement under the Local Government Officer Compensation Act and recommended comparing similar counties when setting rates; she noted Livingston County as a closer comparator on the committee ocument. The committee voted to forward the resolution; the executive committee will receive the record that the finance committee approved the measure and may choose to place it on the full county board agenda for final action.

The committee also handled routine business, including a treasurer update that property tax bills were posted online and scheduled to be mailed May 20 (online payments not enabled until printing and mailings are complete) and a Tyler data-conversion update from Circuit Clerk Amy, who said vendor representatives would return next week and the county remains on target for a planned February 27 go-live (year not specified).