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Introduced Version House Bill 4090 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 4090


(By Delegates Cowles, Tansill, Doyle and Schadler)

[Introduced January 18, 2008; referred to the

Committee on Political Subdivisions then Finance.]





A BILL to amend and reenact §7-7-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to compensation of elected county officials; and fiscal responsibility and authority of county commissions over their budgets and salaries.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §7-7-7 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7. COMPENSATION OF ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS.

§7-7-7. County assistants, deputies and employees; their number and compensation; county budget.

The county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney, by and with the advice and consent of the county commission, may appoint and employ, to assist them in the discharge of their official duties for and during their respective terms of office, assistants, deputies and employees. The county clerk may designate one or more of his or her assistants as responsible for all probate matters.
The county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney shall, prior to the second day of March of each year, file with the county commission a detailed request for appropriations for anticipated or expected expenditures for their respective offices, including the compensation for their assistants, deputies and employees, for the ensuing fiscal year.
The county commission shall, prior to the twenty-ninth day of March of each year by order fix the total amount of money to be expended by the county for the ensuing fiscal year, which amount shall include the compensation of county assistants, deputies and employees. Each county commission shall enter its order upon its county commission record.
The county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk of the county commission and circuit court, if any, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney shall then fix the compensation of their assistants, deputies and employees based on: (1) The total amount of money designated for expenditure by their respective offices by the county commission; and (2) upon a schedule of employee classification, to be provided by the county commission, setting forth salary steps applicable to all county employees, for the purpose of assuring that employees in each classification are compensated fairly, and the employees performing similar work are compensated similarly. In any case in which the county commission and the county clerk, circuit clerk, joint clerk, if any, sheriff, county assessor and prosecuting attorney or any of them disagree as to individual salaries assigned by these officers, the county commission determination shall prevail: Provided, That the county commission must provide written justification for its decision as to each employee salary affected. and In all cases the amount expended shall may not exceed the total expenditure designated by the county commission for each office.
The county officials, in fixing the individual compensation of their assistants, deputies and employees and the county commission in fixing the total amount of money to be expended by the county, shall give due consideration to the duties, responsibilities and work required of the assistants, deputies and employees and their compensation shall be reasonable and proper.
After the county commission has fixed the total amount of money to be expended by the county for the ensuing fiscal year and after each county official has fixed the compensation of each of his or her assistants, deputies and employees, as provided in this section, each county official shall file prior to the thirtieth day of June, with the clerk of the county commission, a budget statement for the ensuing fiscal year setting forth the name, or the position designation if then vacant, of each of his or her assistants, deputies and employees, the period of time for which each is employed, or to be employed if the position is then vacant, and his or her monthly or semimonthly compensation.
All budget statements required to be filed by this section shall be verified by an affidavit by the county official making them. Among other things contained in the affidavit shall be the statement that the amounts shown in the budget statement are the amounts actually paid or intended to be paid to the assistants, deputies and employees without rebate, and without any agreement, understanding or expectation that any part thereof shall be repaid to him or her, and that, prior to the time the affidavit is made, nothing has been paid or promised him or her on that account, and that if he or she shall thereafter receive any money, or thing of value, on account thereof, he or she will account for and pay the same to the county. Until the statements required by this section have been filed, no allowance or payments shall may be made to any county official or their assistants, deputies and employees.
Each county official named in this section shall have the authority to discharge any of his or her assistants, deputies or employees by filing with the clerk of the county commission a discharge statement specifying the discharge action: Provided, That no deputy sheriff appointed pursuant to the provisions of article fourteen, chapter seven of this code, shall may be discharged contrary to the provisions of that article.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify the fiscal responsibility and authority of county commissions over their budgets and expenditures, particularly in regard to salaries of department heads and elected county officials.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
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