Less than a month after it met for the very first time, the Grays Harbor County Citizens’ Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials reconvened Thursday to reconsider the salaries for all county elected officials after resolving to increase the compensation for eight elected officials, including the board of county commissioners back on May 21.
On May 21, the salary commission resolved to set a county commissioner’s salary at 50% of the elected superior court judge salary, which amounted to $114,130, and further voted to raise that salary, along with the salaries of five other Grays Harbor County elected officials (Auditor, Superior Court Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor and Coroner), to 60% of the superior court judge salary, which would be $142,476, effective July 1.
Elected Prosecutor Norma Tillotson and Sheriff Darrin Wallace did not receive pay increases. Wallace’s salary is already at 80% of an elected superior court judge, while Tillotson makes the same salary as an elected superior court judge.
According to Grays Harbor County Administrator Sam Kim, incorrect data was presented at the May 21 meeting. Kim went into painstaking detail regarding salaries and benefits in comparable counties in Washington including Chelan, Cowlitz, Franklin, Grant, Island, Jefferson, Kittitas, Lewis and Walla Walla taking factors such as median household income into account.
The salary commission then voted to change the county commissioners’ pay increase to 50% of the elected superior court judge salary effective June 1, instead to an effective date of July 1, which will set that salary at $118,730.
It also voted to rescind the raise in compensation of the Auditor, Superior Court Clerk, Treasurer, Assessor, and Coroner and to review the salaries of elected prosecutor Norma Tillotson and County Sheriff Darrin Wallace and resolved to bring these salary discussions to a special meeting of the Grays Harbor County Citizens’ Commission in the fall. These resolutions will be finalized at a commission meeting on Monday.
The Salary Commission consists of LeAnna Ristow, Marguerite La Born, Lynn Csernotta and Sara Oliver. Richard Nyhus was absent and excused from the first meeting, and has since indicated his intention to resign. Ristow was elected as chair of the commission. Oliver was absent and excused from Thursday’s meeting.
The commission discussed Nyhus’ intended resignation and voted to acknowledge the pending vacancy and direction for the replacement process. Once Nyhus’ official resignation is received, ultimately it will be up to the Grays Harbor County Auditor Joesph R. MacLean to initiate the selection process for a replacement.
The commission also voted to adopt rules governing meeting frequency, order of business, officer roles, quorum requirements, and procedural guidelines, and to implement Robert’s Rules of Order, “America’s foremost guide to parliamentary procedure,” which provides a framework for conducting meetings.
