Jerry Hathaway, sworn in as Allen County attorney Wednesday afternoon, asked county commissioners to make his and the assistant attorney’s positions better paid.
Hathaway, who served as attorney from 2002 to 2011, said at the time of his nomination on Dec. 21 his intention was to fill the end of Wade Bowie’s term and not seek election in 2016.
Salaries today are $57,000 for the attorney, $49,000 for his assistant. Hathaway urged commissioners to increase them to $65,0000 and $55,000. His rationale is most attorneys in private practice earn far more than the public attorney positions and incentive is needed.
“I know that will affect me,” said Hathaway, who plans to commute from Springfield, Mo., but submitted that the higher salaries would be important in attracting an assistant, whom he hopes would be his successor.
The county attorney’s 2015 budget includes $22,000 for raises, part of which Bowie meant to use to enhance salaries for the office staff of five. Hathaway said he also would reward the staff, “all of whom are very good at what they do.”
COMMISSIONERS agreed to pay $15,000 for remodeling of the medical office building attached to the shuttered Allen County Hospital.
Commissioners approved end-of-year budget transfers and put off making any changes to how county employees — mainly dispatchers and sheriff officers — are compensated for holidays. They asked Sheriff Bryan Murphy to bring information about how Iola Police Department and area sheriff offices handle holiday compensation.
