COLUMBIA, S.C. — A day after the election, six South Carolina elected officials were given big salary increases with pay for two of those officials more than doubling.
A state commission made up of eight lawmakers and three Governor appointees approved the raises Wednesday.
When Attorney General Alan Wilson starts his new term in January, he will make $208,000, representing a 126% raise.
Superintendent-elect Ellen Weaver will make $214,000 -- a salary lower than what several school districts like Richland Two and Lexington One pay their superintendents.
Salaries for the State Treasurer, Agriculture Commissioner, Comptroller General, and Secretary of state will range from $135,000 to $164,000.
Since 1994, these elected officials have made $92,000 a year.
Outgoing budget committee chairman Rep. Gary Simrill said the pay hikes will help draw talent and make South Carolina competitive with what other states pay their elected officials.
It technically should have been done before the year 2000," said Simrill. "We should have already been set to make sure we were paying people what those positions warranted. And we did not."
Simrill added, "for government to be streamlined to operate efficiently and effectively, you must pay according to what averages are and beyond."
Simrill explained the raises were based on a study that will be conducted every four years.
"What we wanted to do was look at responsibilities, payroll, number of employees, the managerial side of what these officers do, and what they mean to South Carolina," said Simrill.
While many in the community agree with the raises, some say the amounts aren’t justifiable.
"It’s really hard to understand that they're doubling theirs when we can’t even keep our infrastructure in place," said Synthia Steele.
The governor who earns $106,000 a year, and Lieutenant Governor who earns $46,500 a year opted out of receiving this raise.
Simrill also pointed to this year's budget, which included a 3% raise for all state employees and a one-time bonus for those employed longer than six months.
The budget also included raising teacher pay to $40,000 and paying for correctional officers to $39,000.
New Salaries
- Superintendent of Education: $214,000
- Attorney General: $208,000
- Treasurer: $164,000
- Agriculture Commissioner: $162,000
- Comptroller General: $151,000
- Secretary of State: $135,000