HERMANN — With their salaries tied to the county’s total assessed valuation, Gasconade County’s various officeholders have reached the top of the pay scale — pending an extension by the Missouri General Assembly.

That was the message delivered during Monday morning’s session of the county’s Salary Commission, which meets every odd-numbered year to consider changes to the paychecks of the offices being filled in the next General Election.

County Clerk Lesa Lietzow explained that because the county’s total assessed value of property has topped the $300 million mark, state law calls for an automatic $2,000 base salary increase for all offices. Unless and until the state legislature increases the property value threshold for 3rd Class counties, this will be the last bump for the offices’ salaries — except for the small Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) granted in recent years by the County Commission.

“There’s nowhere else for us to go (regarding more pay) except the cost of living,” said Prosecuting Attorney Mary E. Weston, who served as the chairman of the Salary Commission.

The COLA amounts have been relatively small, both for officeholders and their department employees. The elected officials have received a Cost of Living Adjustment in only the last four years: 4 percent in 2022, 5 percent in ‘23, 4 percent in ‘24 and 3 percent in ‘25.

The COLA was a long time coming for Gasconade County officeholders, who noted that in some departments longtime employees were paid almost as much or more than the officeholder.

The Salary Commission is comprised of most county government officeholders. The three officeholders elected in a countywide vote who are not part of the Salary Commission are the circuit clerk and recorder of deeds and associate circuit judge, both of whom are paid by state government, and the sheriff, whose salary is tied to the level of pay of the associate circuit judge.

If the County Commission agrees to grant a COLA to employees and officeholders for 2026, it will be included in the upcoming budget process for next year.

Here are the current salaries of the elected officials who are members of the Salary Commission: Presiding Commissioner, $37,876; Northern District and Southern District Associate Commissioners, $35,547; County Clerk, $52,540; Treasurer, $52,540; Collector, $52,436; Prosecuting Attorney, $64,230; Public Administrator, $31,600; Coroner, $19,900; Assessor, $52,665.

Joining the Salary Commission will be the new recorder of deeds, the first of whom will be elected next November. The County Commission earlier this year agreed to separate the Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds Office, making it separate functions. The Recorder of Deeds Office will have a base salary for the officeholder of $45,000, according to the current state law covering that office. The new recorder of deeds will begin his or her inaugural term Jan. 1, 2027.

Along with the recorder of deeds, the other offices to be on the 2026 ballot are presiding commissioner, county clerk, treasurer, collector and prosecuting attorney.

Thanks to a last-minute request from Coroner Jeff Arnold, the work of the Salary Commission won’t be finished for a while. Arnold formally requested the panel increase his office’s pay by up to $14,000, a move allowed 3rd Class salary commissions by recent state legislation. Arnold argued he should receive the salary boost because unlike all other officeholders, he does not receive retirement benefits.

“I’m the only county official to not receive LAGERS,” he said, referring to the Local Government Employee Retirement System, which is one of two retirement systems provided to officeholders and employees of county government. The other is CERF — the County Employee Retirement Fund. The County Commission budgets a certain amount of tax dollars as a contribution to the employees’ retirement funds.

“I work hard and I feel like this raise is necessary,” Arnold said.

“Let us look into it, Jeff,” replied Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann.

Weston said she would research the statute regarding the coroner’s salary, as well as a portion of state law that could provide some additional money for the Public Administrator’s Office.

The members of the Salary Commission agreed to convene again Thursday, Dec. 4, to take up the matters prior to the regular weekly session of the County Commission. However, that meeting will be held in the courthouse, rather than in Owensville City Hall, as is the normal meeting place for the County Commission’s first-Thursday-of-the-month session. Because of the need to convene the Salary Commission on that day, there will not be a County Commission session in Owensville in December.

The Salary Commission will convene at 8 a.m. Dec. 4. The County Commission will hold its session immediately after the Salary Commission meeting.