SB 690 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Authorizing county commissions to increase compensation of elected county officials

SB 690 allows West Virginia county commissions to increase pay for elected county officials - including county commissioners, sheriffs, clerks, assessors, and prosecutors - when property valuations rise significantly, justifying new duties. The bill requires two key steps: county auditors must certify improved fiscal health (including sufficient funds for salary increases and taxes), and officials must submit written requests for higher pay. It bases increases on property valuation changes, noting that higher valuations correlate with expanded responsibilities like public safety and economic development. The law ensures compliance with state constitutional limits on salary adjustments. This affects all counties and directly impacts the compensation of 12 specific elected county roles.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 4, 2025 Last action Mar 31, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Committee Substitute → sb690 sfa tarr _1 3-26 adopted.htm · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was modified to add a new condition preventing counties from increasing official salaries if they are more than 90 days delinquent in paying regional jail per diem costs. This change links salary increases to fiscal responsibility regarding jail funding, ensuring that counties failing to meet specific financial obligations cannot raise compensation for elected officials.

Scope change

The bill's applicability was narrowed to include a financial eligibility requirement for counties seeking salary increases, specifically targeting those with delinquent jail payments.

REQUIREMENT

Added a proviso stating that county commissions cannot increase compensation if the county is more than 90 days delinquent in paying annual regional jail per diem costs.

FISCAL

Modified the salary increase mechanism to include a new financial threshold based on jail payment delinquency.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 28, 2025

How they voted

31–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 33

Mar 28, 2025

D Democratic2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican31

29 Yea 2

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 31, 2025

Committee

To House Government Organization

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Committee

To Government Organization then Finance

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Mar 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 210)

upper

Mar 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Mar 4, 2025

Committee

To Government Organization

upper

1 primary · 5 co-sponsors