Allen County commissioners voted to deny themselves a raise at their meeting Tuesday. Commissioner Bruce Symes said that was the intention of commissioners when they set the budget last summer, but had yet to make the decision official.
At the beginning of the year county employees received a 2% cost of living raise and became eligible for up to 2% merit raises. Current pay for a commissioner is $22,000, with the ability to accrue COLA increases over their tenures.
Symes said he believed in leading by example in denying the body a raise. According to Kansas law, county commissioners must receive a salary of some sort. They can also take advantage of the countys health insurance program and the states retirement program.