Oftentimes, I am more than happy to shine a light on those who do the yeoman’s work in our society. Unfortunately, they are not always seen as “true heroes,” but they do a tremendous amount of work for little pay and almost no recognition. This past week, I was pleased to support a fellow lawmaker with a similar vision for some of our unsung heroes at the local level.
Senate Bill 1088 seeks to modify provisions relating to the salaries of public administrators. These are the folks who oversee the care of those who are deemed incapacitated or disabled. I believe their compensation should reflect the work they do as the fulltime decision-maker for the most vulnerable in our population. Senate Bill 1088 was heard by the Missouri Senate Local Government and Elections Committee, on which I happily serve.
Currently, a public administrator’s salary is determined by what I consider to be an archaic method of determining how much to pay the person. I believe SB 1088 gives counties the flexibility they need to pay public administrators not only better, but would also let them determine a pay scale more along the lines of other county officials, such as county clerks or assessors. Hopefully, this would equal getting more qualified people interested in taking what I believe to be one of the most demanding jobs at the local level.
Again, I want to note the importance of public administrators and the great work they do across our state. They give up so much, in order to take care of some of the most vulnerable people in our population. I hope this legislation will help them and allow county governments to make much-needed salary adjustments as they see fit.
As always, please feel free to call, email or write with your ideas or concerns. My Capitol office number is (573) 751-1415, my email is dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov and my mailing address is Room 332, State Capitol Building, Jefferson City, MO 65101.