GERING, Neb. (AP) — County commissioners have given themselves the biggest raise by percentage when compared to those they granted to other elected officials in Scotts Bluff County.
On Tuesday the commissioners approved a hike of nearly 39 percent, taking their wages from nearly $18,000 for next year to nearly $25,000 in 2019. Nebraska statutes require commissioners to set the salaries of elected officials by Jan. 15 of each election year.
Commission Chairman Mark Masterton says the board took recommendations from various agencies, including the Nebraska Association of County Officials, and compared the county's salaries to those in similar counties throughout the state.
Masterton says commissioners haven't had a significant wage increase in 20 years, giving them the lowest salary among counties with equivalent populations.