4.5 Percent? For 4 years?

I understand both arguments: On the one hand are those who say that in order to keep the most qualified candidates interested in public office, the pay must be competitive. On the other hand, however, are those that feel that the current pay rates are adequate. Both are reasonable positions. I remember a while back reading an article about salary increases for judges. Citing the growing number of adjudicators who were leaving the bench in order to pursue opportunities in the private sector, the author of this piece was advocating giving judges more of an incentive to continue in public life. The same problems are prevalent in multiple situations.

The Dutchess County Legislature recently voted down a measure that would have increased the annual salaries of the county executive, county clerk, and county sheriff by 4.5% each year for the next 4 years. For example, right now Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus' salary is just shy of $140,000 a year. Had this measure passed, come the year 2011 he would have been making just shy of $167,000 a year. The total raise would have been equal to what some families are forced to live on annually.

It is a good thing that this measure was defeated. Aside from the fact that it was a last-ditch effort by the lame duck legislature to pass salary increases before the Democrats take control in 2008, I personally think that $139,869 a year is competitive enough -- as is $106,023 for the county clerk, and $125,664 for the county sheriff. The money saved from not implementing the raises may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it can be used for more worthy causes.