Howard County’s elected officials voted against giving themselves raises. A salary commission meeting was held Thursday morning in the courtroom on the second floor of the courthouse.

Proposed was a 10 percent raise for elected officials. The raises would have taken effect in January for officials who were elected or re-elected during the most recent general election on November 5. (All county officials in this most recent election were unchallenged incumbents.) For those officials not in this election cycle, the raises would have begun with the start of the next term, regardless of who occupies the office.

Western District Commissioner Mat Freese said the commission has been aggressive with regard to giving raises, but Howard County officials still earn less than those in comparable counties. By law, salary meetings must occur every odd year between the general election and the start of the new terms in January, but meetings in even years are allowed.

“We did it now because of the amount of complaints we’ve had from other elects,” Freese said.

He also noted that it would be better to raise salaries incrementally rather than one large increase later while trying to bring salaries in line with other counties.

“We’re on the lower end of county salaries. We wanted to make a small jump now instead of a big step later,” Freese said. “We can afford this.”

Ultimately, the measure failed. Freese, Presiding Commissioner Jerimiah Johnmeyer, and Assessor Woody McCutcheon voted in favor of the raises. Voting “No” were Treasurer Susan Keyton, Prosecutor Deborah Riekhof, Clerk Shelly Howell, Public Administrator Lisa Asbury, and Collector Jinger Felten.

Sheriff Jeff Oswald attended the meeting but abstained. State law ties sheriffs’ salaries to those of judges. Therefore, the measure would not have affected his pay.

Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Stockhorst and Coroner Tricia Clark were absent.

The commission is considering raises for county employees next year. The three-person commission is preparing the budget for the next fiscal year, which begins January 1.

The county also absorbed a recent $25 monthly increase in insurance premiums for county officials and employees.