Calhoun County, authorizes the county commission to increase the compensation of the board of registrars
Summary
HB213 is a local bill for Calhoun County that amends Section 45-8-110 of the Code of Alabama to adjust compensation for members of the county board of registrars. Under the bill, each registrar would receive an additional $15 per day for attendance on authorized board business, paid from the county general fund, and that amount would be in addition to any other compensation already provided by law. The bill also allows the Calhoun County Commission, by resolution, to increase that additional compensation beyond the $15 daily amount.
The bill includes a safeguard for constitutional or legal limits on increasing pay for incumbent officeholders. If the compensation increase cannot be applied immediately to an incumbent because of constitutional restrictions, it is to be treated as an expense allowance until the next term of office, at which point it becomes part of the officeholder’s compensation. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.
Impact
HB213 changes local law applicable only to Calhoun County by revising the compensation structure for the county board of registrars. It authorizes county general fund spending for daily registrar pay and gives the county commission discretion to raise that amount by resolution, while also addressing how the increase is handled for current officeholders if constitutional limits apply. The bill affects county budgeting, election administration personnel compensation, and the statutory framework governing local registrar pay.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House of Origin and the second house unanimously, with recorded votes of 49-0 in the House and 30-0 in the Senate, and there is no committee transcript indicating debate or opposition. The voting pattern suggests general agreement that the compensation adjustment for the board of registrars was acceptable.
Contention
No notable substantive contention is reflected in the available record. The only potential issue embedded in the text is the constitutional treatment of compensation increases for incumbent officeholders, which the bill addresses by converting the increase to an expense allowance until the next term. Otherwise, the measure is a straightforward local compensation bill, and the unanimous votes indicate no visible partisan or policy opposition.