Calhoun County, authorizes the county commission to increase the compensation of the board of registrars
Summary
SB127 is a local act applying only to Calhoun County. It amends Section 45-8-110 of the Code of Alabama to allow the Calhoun County Commission to provide additional compensation to each member of the county board of registrars for each day they attend authorized board business. The base amount remains $15 per day, and the county commission is expressly authorized to increase that amount by resolution. The bill also clarifies that the compensation is paid from the county general fund and is in addition to any other compensation provided by law.
The bill includes a standard constitutional safeguard for incumbent officeholders. If the compensation increase would be prohibited as an in-term salary increase, the added amount is to be paid as an expense allowance until the next term begins, at which point it becomes part of the office’s compensation. The act takes effect on October 1, 2025.
Impact
SB127 changes local law for Calhoun County by giving the county commission discretion to raise the per-day pay for members of the board of registrars, a county election-related body. It affects county budgeting and compensation practices, but only within Calhoun County, and does not create a statewide change. The bill amends the existing local compensation statute in Section 45-8-110 and preserves compliance with constitutional limits on increasing an incumbent official’s pay during a current term.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed both chambers unanimously, with 32-0 votes in the Senate and 57-0 in the House, indicating clear bipartisan agreement. The absence of committee transcript discussion also suggests the measure was treated as routine local legislation rather than a contested policy change.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The only potentially sensitive issue is the compensation increase for a public board, which could raise general concerns about public spending or pay adjustments for officeholders. The bill addresses that concern by allowing the increase to be treated as an expense allowance until the next term if constitutional restrictions apply, reducing the risk of an unlawful midterm salary increase.