MAYVILLE – In 2024, the Chautauqua County Legislature, without any Democratic support, approved significant pay hikes for individual legislators, the executive, the clerk and the sheriff. All elected officials will also get pay hikes as well based on the economy.

Because of this, one county lawmaker wants to see what elected officials are earning published online on an annual basis.

Legislator Fred Larson, D-Jamestown, has introduced a resolution entitled “Annual public disclosure of elected officials’ salaries.”

The resolution was brought up at the legislature’s March meeting, but didn’t go before any committees earlier in the month.

Because of this, the legislature voted to send the resolution to committee for review before voting on it.

“We have a process of reviewing and discussing resolutions in committee where questioning and possible debate takes place to make us more informed as to how we might vote on the resolution,” Legislator Bob Scudder, R-Fredonia said. “I would guess that 98% or more of non-emergency resolutions go through committee. Why this particular resolution did not is puzzling to me and also a little disappointing. I am totally in favor of Resolution 100-26, but I would have loved to add my name as a sponsor. I would like to suggest that in the future all resolutions except emergency ones go through committee so we can do our best work as legislators for the great people of Chautauqua County.”

Larson said he didn’t see a need for his resolution to go committee first and supported having any legislator’s name on it as a co-sponsor.

He added later that although he felt the resolution was “self-evident” he had no objections to it going before a committee before having a vote in April.

The vote to have the resolution go to committee passed by a 13-6 vote. Voting no were legislators Sandra Lewis, D-Fredonia; Dan Pavlock, R-Ellington; Marty Proctor, R-Mina; Scudder; Lisa Vanstrom, R-West Ellicott; and Bob Whitney, D-Jamestown.

According to the proposed resolution, as of Jan. 1, the salary of the county executive is $135,400; the Sheriff is $107,425; the salary of the county clerk is $89,300.

The resolution does not list the salary of individual legislators, although it appears their salaries would need to be listed on the county website should the resolution be approved.

In 2025, the base pay for the 19 county legislators was $9,000, which was the same for the last 20 years. There is additional pay for various titles. Their base pay went up to $14,732, effective Jan. 1, following the 2025 election.

Legislators are also getting annual raises according to the Consumer Price Index. Since 2018, the executive, sheriff and clerk have been getting annual CPI pay raises.

Larson said the CPI raises are one of the reasons why he wants to see elected officials’ salaries disclosed annually.

“We’re going to have a cost of living adjustment as legislators, Jan. 1 of ’27 and nobody knows, we don’t know, what that’s going to be,” he said.