Salaries for Adams Co. elected officials under discussion

RITZVILLE — Adams County commissioners decided to delay consideration of an ordinance to revise the way salaries for county elected officials are established. Board Chair Mike Garza emphasized the ordinance was still a work in progress after rumors about the proposed changes brought about half a dozen to the commission meeting Tuesday. 

“It’s not set in stone yet,” Garza said.  

The proposed ordinance abolishes the county commission that sets salaries now and establishes criteria that use salaries of superior court judges as a benchmark. Those salaries are set by a state commission. The proposed ordinance would set salaries for the assessor, auditor, clerk and treasurer at 41% of a superior court judge salary.  

Under the proposed measure, commissioner salaries would be set at 41% of the superior court judge salary. Those changes would not go into effect until the next commission term. Garza used himself as an example; his seat is up for election in 2026, and any change in pay would not go into effect until after the 2026 election. Commissioners Jay Weise and Dan Blankenship were reelected in 2024, so any changes would not go into effect until after the 2028 election. 

Under the proposed ordinance, the sheriff would receive 58% of the superior court judge salary. The prosecutor would receive 31% of a superior court judge's salary, but a portion of a county prosecutor's salary is paid by the state, according to RCW 36.17.020.  

Rumors were circulating that county officials would receive wage increases of 45%, which drew people to the commission meeting to ask about it. Weise said that was a misunderstanding. Wages will be a percentage of the superior court salary; he estimated the actual increase would be 2-3% for 2026, or later in the cases of some elected officials, as noted above, if the ordinance is approved.  

Commissioners decided to abolish the county’s salary commission because it was difficult to find people willing to participate on that board, Weise said. Commissioners opted for a system used by many other Washington counties, using the superior court salary, which is set by an independent state commission, as a benchmark. 

Garza said commissioners are trying to work on long-term planning, rather than only concentrating on immediate issues. As part of that, future salary adjustments would continue to be based on superior court judge salaries.  

Superior court judge salaries are set in July, and the ordinance stipulated that any salary changes would go into effect in July. Blankenship recommended delaying any changes until the following January. That would make budgeting easier, he said. Commissioners decided to delay consideration of the proposal until after that change was made.