Warren County elected officials decided to not implement a cost of living raise that would have tied their pay with the rest of the county's employees. The salary commission, comprised of the county's elected officials, met for a fourth time last Monday, Dec. 14, after the county commission contacted Jeff Schwartz, of the Stolar Partnership, the county's legal counsel, to learn more about the possibility of adjusting wages. By delaying a decision on a cost of living increase, no elected official will be able to receive a pay increase until 2013 at the earliest. The county commissioners also have yet to determine if county employees will be receiving raises for 2010. In November, citing the current economic downtown, including declining sales tax revenue, elected officials made a motion to keep the base salaries for their offices at the same level. However, multiple officials were interested in exploring a cost of living increase as a way to bump salaries in smaller increments. Officials had indicated previously they were concerned about the public perception of wage increases when residents are facing financial difficulties of their own. Two years ago, county officials received a 10 percent bump, though in some instances a pay increase hadn't been received in more than 10 years, they said. On Dec. 7, a motion was made to table the meeting until the county commission contacted Schwartz to see if a meeting could be held by the salary commission in 2010 that could still affect the salaries of those offices - presiding commissioner, county clerk, treasurer and collector - up for election in 2010. The salary commission meets only in odd-numbered years and had to wrap up any meetings by Dec. 15, pursuant to state statute. Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage said Schwartz recommended the salary commission not meet in an off year. A week earlier, Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson made a motion authorizing a cost of living adjustment for the elected officials. Under the plan, the percentage increase would have been the same for all elected officials and the percentage could not have exceeded the percentage increase received by the highest-paid county employee. The motion died for a lack of a second. Hampson said it was his idea to have the cost of living adjustment available for the future. "It ties the elected officials wages to the employees instead of the county commissioners going like eight years without a raise," Hampson said. "We can implement smaller increment raises to the elected officials making it more in line. It's more like what industries are doing." County Assessor Wendy Nordwald said she remains interested in knowing more about implementing a cost of living increase. She said other nearby counties use that approach, but understood the reason for delaying raises for now. "In the climate we're in, we can't do raises," she said. "It's not good. Now is not the time when everybody is tightening their belts." Sheriff Kevin Harrison also had indicated previously he was in favor of a pay increase that was linked to county employees. Had the salary commission gone forward to implement the cost of living increase, the amount would have been made at the sole discretion of the county commission. The county commission could also vote to not approve an annual cost of living adjustment for elected officials. All of the elected officials' salaries are set by the salary commission with the exception of the prosecutor and public administrator which are set by state statute.