SMETHPORT (EC) — At a properly advertised public meeting at the 911 Center earlier this month, the McKean County Commissioners adopted a resolution setting the salaries for the county’s elected officials for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The new pay rates reflect an approximate 2.7 percent raise.

State law empowers the commissioners to establish these salaries, which are required to be on a percentage basis and applied equally to all county officials, with certain exceptions, which were enacted to raise lower salaried county officials to equality with other county officials. According to the commissioners’ resolution, these salaries are increased annually by a percentage to be determined by the U.S. Consumer Price Index as established on Sept. 30 of each year prior to the year in which the salary increases shall be effective. In no case shall the salaries for elected officials be less than one percent nor greater than five percent.

The current salaries for the row officers are as follows: commissioners, $59,818.89; prothonotary, recorder of deeds and register of wills and controller, $56,996.93; coroner, $54,330.01; sheriff, $58,996.93.

The district attorney’s salary is currently $179,299, with more than 50 percent of the funding coming from the state.