Proposed raises for Thurston elected officials range from 5% to 9.5%. Public can comment Monday
Thurston County elected officials may get salary increases ranging from 5% to 9.5% in 2025 if a new proposal is approved.
The county’s Citizen’s Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials will accept public comment on its proposed raises on Monday, according to a county news release.
The citizen’s commission is responsible for setting the salaries for county commissioners and for recommending salaries for other county elected officials. The Board of County Commissioners will have final say on the proposed salaries that are not their own before the end of the year.
For 2025, the citizen’s commission is proposing county commissioners be paid $12,328 month, or $147,936 a year, which is a 6% increase over their 2024 salary.
Last year, the citizen’s commission set the county commissioner salary at $11,630 a month, which was a 5.8% increase over salaries set in 2022.
The 2024 county commissioner salary aligned with the salaries of most other elected officials, except the Sheriff and Prosecuting Attorney.
No elected officials in Thurston County except the Prosecuting Attorney received salary increases in 2023 and 2021.
The Citizens Commission proposal
The highest percentage increase under the new proposal is 9.5% for Sheriff Derek Sanders. If approved, that would mean he would make $15,733 a month, or $188,796 a year.
However, the sheriff’s salary would be only the second highest salary under the proposal.
The Prosecuting Attorney currently has the highest salary of all elected officials in the county and the new proposal would maintain that standing. Under the 2025 proposal, Prosecuting Attorney Jon Tunheim would make $19,022 a month, or $228,264 a year, which is a 5% increase over his 2024 salary.
Notably, the state contributes half of the salary for a superior court judge toward the salary of the elected prosecuting attorney, under state law. Thurston County must pay the remainder of the salary, which must be equal to or greater than what it contributed in 2008.
Superior Court judges salaries are adjusted on July 1, according to the Washington Citizen’s Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials. That means the Prosecuting Attorney gets a mid-year salary adjustment.
The county’s citizen’s commission is proposing the following salaries for the remaining elected officials.
- The Assessor would get $12,502 a month, or $150,024 a year. That would be about a 7.5% increase over their 2024 salary.
- The Auditor would get $12,677 a month, or $152,124 a year. That would be about a 9% increase over their 2024 salary.
- The Clerk would get $12,328 a month, or $147,936 a year. That would be about a 6% increase over their 2024 salary.
- The Coroner would get $12,328 a month, or $147,936 a year. That would be about a 6% increase over their 2024 salary.
- The Treasurer would make $12,444 a month, or $149,328 a year. That would be about a 7% increase over their 2024 salary.
The public hearing on the proposed raises will be held during the citizens commission’s meeting at 6 p.m. Monday in Board Room 110 at 3000 Pacific Ave. SE in Olympia. The public may attend in person or virtually through Zoom.
