Oklahoma County commission’s vote may end automatic raises

Oklahoma County’s eight elected officials voted unanimously Thursday to repeal a policy that gives them virtually automatic raises each year.

The county’s three commissioners previously voted to freeze salaries for elected officials this year after District 2 Commissioner Brian Maughan brought the issue up.

Maughan was criticized by his fellow officials for not first taking the matter to the county’s budget board, which includes all eight elected county officers.

Commissioners will still have to ratify the budget board’s action. Maughan said that will likely happen at the commissioners’ Sept. 30 meeting.

"I was just pleased that they voted unanimously to support me,” Maughan said. "I think it’s a great sign of us being able to work together and do the right thing at the same time.”

Treasurer Butch Freeman, who previously said the elected officials deserved raises, said the state of the economy was the deciding factor for him.

"I still think county officials deserve raises, but deserving and receiving are two different issues,” Freeman said. "There are an awful lot of people who deserve raises who aren’t going to get them. I understand that.”