By Chris OrletRecord Managing EditorThe salaries of five Warren County elected officials will remain the same, however, some extra cash could come in the form of cost-of-living allowances for officials and their staff.The Warren County Salary Commission voted unanimously Monday to keep the base salaries for the offices of county clerk, treasurer, presiding commissioner, collector and recorder the same for the year starting Jan. 1, 2015. Other elected officials were not up for consideration this year.The commission also recommended the county commissioners consider cost-of-living allowances for employees and elected officials during the upcoming budgeting process, but only if funds are available.While the county finances are holding steady, with a $11,000 drop in sales tax partially made up by an increase in use taxes, no salary commission members expressed an interest in raising salaries.Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage noted that the county was likely looking at a steep rise in employee health insurance costs. “It’d be a hard thing to raise salaries and pay for insurance,” he said.“To me the employees come first,” said Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison. “I’d like to see a cost-of-living allowance for them.”Linda Stude, county assessor, said she would be hard pressed to vote for a salary increase for elected officials. “Especially when I know the minimal increases staff have gotten over the years,” she said.Debbie Engemann, county recorder of deeds, chided the county commissioners for refusing to raise property taxes. “Taxpayers like myself should have to take on more of the burden for county services,” she said.Engelage replied that the county commissioners promised voters last year that if they passed the use tax the county would not raise property taxes.According to county clerk Barb Daly, most county employees received a 2 percent or 25-cent-an-hour raise in 2012; a 10-cent-an-hour raise in 2011; a 50-cent-an-hour raise in 2008; a 40-cent-an-hour raise in 2007; and a 50-cent-an-hour raise in 2006.Officials said they would not know how much of a cost of living allowance would be possible until budget time.County Salary Commissions Holds the Line on Salaries; Recommends COLAs