No Raises for New County Officials

A special meeting of the Breathitt Fiscal Court completed some routine business and then took no action on pay raises for elected county officials.

The meeting was called to order by Judge Jeff Noble at 10:15 a.m., after waiting for two magistrates to join.

With Magistrates Brenda Terry and Drewey Lovins and Judge Noble present, the Fiscal Court approved interfund transfers and two payments totaling $170,433.53 to Blue Rock Construction, as well as a $695.00 payment to Twin Investments.

The remaining item on the special meeting agenda was the consideration of elected officer salaries for the 2027-2030 term.

“I feel like all of the court members should be here before we discuss that,” Judge Jeff Noble said.

Monday, May 4, was the last day the Breathitt County Fiscal Court could consider or pass a change in rates for county offices under the Kentucky Revised Statutes. 

KRS 64.530 sets the first Monday in May as the date all salary changes must be completed for elected officials who take office in January 2027.

Under Kentucky law, governmental bodies cannot pass a pay change, including an increase, that will be implemented during their elected term.

According to legal scholars, the deadline was imposed after elected officials in several Kentucky counties reduced the pay rates of new officers in 1950, following their loss in the May 1949 primaries.  The law has been amended eighteen times since its original passage.

The Kentucky General Assembly enacted the bill as a safeguard requiring that all elected officials receive “reasonable compensation” for their service.

According to the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo), the actual salary for any individual county official depends on “the population of the county in which he/she serves and the number of years of experience.”

“I hate to touch on the salaries without the other members,” Magistrate Drewey Lovins said as he motioned to keep the salaries the same for the next four years.  Terry seconded the motion, and it passed without further discussion.

County Attorney Brendon Miller was also in attendance at the meeting.

The recent attempt by the Morgan County Fiscal Court to increase magistrate pay by nearly $10,000 a year was approved last week, but brought many complaints from residents.