CCS#2/SS/SCS/HCS/HBs 274 & 268 - This act makes several changes in county budget procedures:

(1) In first class counties, the public administrator is to be included as a member of the salary commission. The table for salaries based on assessed valuation is changed by adding public administrators to the offices which have their salary determined in this fashion. Associate commissioners shall receive a salary of $2,000 less than the salary received by the presiding commissioner;

(2) If the salary commission votes to increase compensation, all offices and officers whose compensation is being considered by that vote shall receive the same percentage of the maximum allowable compensation. However, if all of a county's officers are currently paid 100% of the maximum allowable compensation, then the salary commission may vote to increase the officers' compensation at that or any other meeting. The increase shall be expressed as a percentage of the maximum allowable compensation;

(3) Mileage reimbursements for county commissioners would no longer be required by statute to be reimbursed at the end of each month; and

(4) "Maximum allowable compensation" is the highest compensation which may be set by the salary commission based on the assessed valuation of the county. A county's annual budget may be amended when additional funds are received, if the receipt of such funds could not have been estimated when the budget was adopted.

(5) If the county governing body and the circuit court disagree on the estimates in the budget, an amount equal to the difference in the estimates shall be placed in an escrow account and shall not be appropriated or expended until a final determination is made by the judicial finance commission. (Also in HCS/SB 352.)

(6) Expenditures to support juvenile officers and juvenile court personnel shall be included in the budget estimates.

(7) The presiding judge of each circuit court shall meet with the county budget officer not later than 15 days prior to the filing of the budget estimates to discuss the court's estimates of its revenues and expenditures for the next fiscal year.

(8) At the request of the sheriff in a third or fourth class county, the presiding judge may order additional deputies for exigent or emergency circumstances.

(9) The Judicial Finance Commission shall examine the budget, or any budget item, estimated by the court.

(10) The presiding judge and circuit clerk of each circuit court in St. Louis City shall meet with the Mayor not later than February 1 to discuss the court's estimates of its revenues and expenditures for the next fiscal year. After such meetings, the estimates of the circuit court and circuit clerk shall be transmitted to St. Louis City by March 1. (Also in HCS/SB 352.)

(11) The mileage reimbursement limit for members of a sheriff's department who use their personal automobiles for department business is changed. Currently, the reimbursement is 25 cents per mile. The new rate will be the rate that is allowed by the Internal Revenue Service (29 cents per mile in 1994).

The monthly limit for actual expenses (currently $400) incurred while traveling to serve warrants or any other criminal process is removed as is the monthly limit ($200) for investigation expenses.

SB 458 has been incorporated into the CCS.
TOM CRAWFORD