Maries County Sheriff Chris Heitman, not long after the county salary commission meeting concluded last Thursday, asked for a follow-up meeting to discuss raising his salary by $6,000 to be used to add to the pay of his full time, commissioned deputies. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14 at 9 a.m. and the public is invited to attend.

Heitman sent the email to Clerk Rhonda Brewer and Circuit Clerk and Recorder Mark Buschmann at 10:59 a.m. on Oct. 31, not long after the salary commission ended its meeting. The salary commission convenes on odd-numbered years to determine whether or not county elected officials receive a pay increase. Generally, the only pay increase they take is a cost of living adjustment and only if non-elected county employees also receive a raise. This is what they decided on Oct. 31.

Sheriff Heitman cited the state statute 50.327 which deal with the base salary schedules for county officials and the salary commission. In it, the sheriff cites Section No. 3 which states “Upon majority approval of the salary commission, the annual compensation of a county sheriff as provided in section 57.317 may be increased by up to six thousand dollars greater than the compensation provided by the salary schedule of such section,” the statute stated.

“I would make a motion to vote on this increase, with a pledge from me to donate the entire amount received from this $6,000 pay raise to my full time commissioned deputies, as long as I am sheriff,” Heitman said in the email.

The commissioners discussed it briefly and noted another Section No. 1 of the statute states any percentage salary adjustment for one county official must be equal for all such officials in the county. And section No. 2 states part time prosecutor pay may be increased by up to $2,000 provided it increases the pay for all county offices.