Adjusting salary schedule for elected county officials

The bill title was changed from a generic identifier to a descriptive title outlining specific actions: adjusting salary schedules, removing redundant State Auditor certifications, adding future salary increase mechanisms, and prohibiting adjustments under certain conditions.

A specific motion to amend a previous amendment regarding a 2028 salary review process for elected officials was removed.

A new motion to amend the entire bill's title was added, signaling broader legislative intent beyond the previously proposed 2028 salary review.

Mandates that county commissions review and adjust salaries of elected officials every two years starting March 1, 2028, if the budget increase covers salary and employment tax costs.

Establishes a prohibition on salary increases if the county is more than 90 days in arrears on obligations to the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for inmate housing and maintenance.

Shifted the legislative amendment lead from Senator Clements to Senator Martin and updated the associated bill tracking numbers and dates.

Specific salary amounts for county officials were increased, with adjustments made to lines 80-89 on page 5 and a new comprehensive table added on page 7 listing new rates for Class I through Class X positions.

The bill title was amended to describe the new legislative findings and the elimination of previous requirements regarding Auditor certification and written salary requests.

Deleted the requirement that the Auditor must certify a county's fiscal condition has improved before salary increases can be implemented.

Deleted the rule requiring elected officials to file a written request before a salary increase becomes effective.

Removed the specific salary amounts and effective dates for county commissioners and other elected officials.

Changed the bill title to reflect the deletion of the Auditor certification and written request requirements, though the substantive text supporting these changes was removed.

Changed the salary review trigger from a specific 2028 start date to a recurring cycle every two years beginning March 1, 2028.

Added a prohibition preventing salary increases if a county is more than 90 days in arrears on inmate housing payments to the Division of Corrections.

Eliminated the requirement for duplicative budget certification by the State Auditor.

Expanded the salary computation mechanism to include sheriffs and assessor commissions.

Adjusted specific salary amounts for various county official classes, generally resulting in lower base salaries compared to the previous version.

Added a mandatory written request requirement where county officials must file a request with the county clerk prior to the effective date of a salary increase to qualify for the raise.

Reinstated a requirement for the State Auditor to certify that the county's fiscal condition has sufficiently improved to cover the cost of the salary increase and related taxes before payments begin.

Updated the effective date for the new salary schedule to July 1, 2026, and added a future mechanism for automatic salary reviews starting in 2028.

Expanded the salary schedule for county commissioners to include Classes VII through X with specific dollar amounts for the 2026 effective date.

Updated the salary amounts for all elected county officials (sheriffs, clerks, assessors, prosecutors) to reflect higher rates effective July 1, 2026.

Eliminated the requirement for the State Auditor to certify that a county's fiscal condition has sufficiently improved before salary increases are paid.

Removed the requirement for elected officials to file a written request for a salary increase prior to the effective date.

Updated salary schedules for county commissioners and other elected officials to take effect on July 1, 2026, with specific dollar amounts for different county classes.

Added a new legislative finding declaring that the amendments are intended to ensure full compliance with the West Virginia Constitution and Supreme Court decisions.

Added new salary increases for county commissioners and other elected officials to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Added a new requirement that county commissions must review and potentially adjust salaries every two years starting in 2028 if the county budget has grown sufficiently.

Added a prohibition preventing salary increases if a county is more than 90 days in arrears on obligations to the Division of Corrections for inmate housing.

Added a new section detailing legislative findings regarding the justification for salary increases based on new duties and property valuations.

Updated the specific dollar amounts for county commissioner and other elected official salaries across all county classes to reflect the 2026 increases.