By Tim SchmidtRecord Managing EditorWarren County elected officials will receive a 10 percent boost in their salaries following the next election cycles in two and four years.The salary commission unanimously approved the increase during a meeting held Monday, Nov. 9.The bump will cost the county $42,231 more than what is currently being paid in salaries for elected positions. In 2015, the county has projected to spend $577,363.06 on salaries.The last time elected officials received a raise was in either 2007 or 2009, depending on the position. Those increases were decided by the salary commission in 2005.At the same meeting Monday, the salary commission also authorized the county commission to consider giving elected officials a cost-of-living adjustment for 2016.The jump in salary will range from $1,760 to $5,720, according to the position.The new base salaries for elected positions in the county will be as follows: presiding commissioner ($38,137), associate commissioners ($35,937), county clerk, assessor, collector, recorder of deeds and treasurer ($54,450), sheriff ($62,920) and coroner ($19,360).The annual salaries for prosecuting attorney and public administrator are $135,053.16 and $20,000, respectively. Both of those figures are set by state statute.For some positions, by the time the new salary is implemented when new terms begin in 2017 and 2019, they will have not received a pay raise in 12 or 14 years.County positions up for election in 2016 are both associate commissioner positions, assessor, sheriff, coroner and public administrator. In 2018, those positions are county clerk, collector, presiding commissioner, treasurer and prosecuting attorney.In recent years, elected officials held off from increasing the compensation of their positions due to a sluggish economy and concerns over public perception.Elected officials this time around agreed it was time for the salaries to be adjusted.“That is a pretty meager increase...,” Sheriff Kevin Harrison said. “Most people expect 2 to 5 percent from their employees every year.”Funds for the salaries, excluding the assessor’s, are paid out of the general fund. According to figures provided at Monday’s meeting, the county’s general fund balance in 2015 has increased by approximately $250,000 compared to 2014.“There is a conservative trend to this group of elected officials and our predecessors,” Harrison remarked. “We have survived tough times by being a little bit conservative.”The decision on the cost-of-living adjustment, often referred to as a COLA, should be reached sometime in January when the three-member county commission finalizes the 2016 budget. Should the non-elected employees receive a COLA, the elected positions will also receive an increase that can be equal or less than the amount.However, if the county commission elects to go in a different direction and give employees a pay raise, then the elected positions will not receive any additional compensation.Some debate still stands on whether or not a COLA is legal since a merit raise cannot be given in the middle of an elected term.Some elected officials prefer the COLA, since pay raises could be decided in smaller increments over time.“It keeps up and the salary commission never has to address it,” Assessor Wendy Nordwald said.Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner reiterated he is not in favor of a COLA. He was the lone member of the salary commission to vote against the recommendation.“You’re changing your base in midterm,” he commented. “You’re changing the base every year. I just don’t like it, I don’t like it at all.”The salary commission is comprised of the county clerk, prosecuting attorney, sheriff, county commissioners, collector, treasurer, assessor, public administrator, recorder of deeds and coroner. It only meets on odd-numbered years.The only elected officeholder not in attendance Monday was Recorder of Deeds Debbie Engemann who was sick.Warren Co. Administration Building