The Base Salary for elected officials in Yellowstone County will be increased four percent, following the approval of County Commissioners on Tuesday at the recommendation made by the Yellowstone County Compensation Board. Base salary for county elected officials in FY 2022-23 will be $78,084.76.
Longevity pay will increase four percent. Elected officials receive $4,962.09 for each of the first five years they are in office, after which longevity pay is capped.
Compensation for Justices of the Peace is 80 percent of District Court Judges salary which are set by the state legislature. They receive no longevity compensation.
The County Attorney’s total compensation will be equal to the 2023 compensation level of a District Court Judge, with no compensation for longevity.
The four percent pay increases means that Auditor Scott Turner will receive $97,933.12 through the end of the year at which time the auditor’s position as full time ends and the essential duties will be performed by the County Clerk and Recorder Jeff Martin.
Martin’s pay is $102,895, which includes 10 percent stipends for performing the duties of surveyor and after January 1, the duties of the auditor’s position.
Sherry Long, Treasurer, also receives a 10 percent stipend for performing duties of assessor and that of County Superintendent of Schools. Her annual salary is $111,103.
Clerk of Court Terry Halpin will receive $102,895.
The salaries of the county commissioners will be: Don Jones, $94,971; Denis Pitman, $104,895; and John Ostlund, $104,895.
Sheriff Mike Linder’s salary is $105,071.
The commissioners also approved non- union employees an increase of between 4 and 4.5%, depending on their position on the pay scale, and an additional increase of 0.15 percent was added for some employees to promote their salary closer to midpoint of the pay scale.
