Some county officials will find their wallets and billfolds a little heavier now that supervisors approved a pay raise passed by lawmakers this session.

While other employees also received a boost this year — the increase of a starting teacher’s pay from $37,123 to $41,638, for example — Lincoln County’s supervisors, justice court judges and board attorney all received a raise from their current annual salary of $46,040 to $50,000 annually. The board voted its approval during its July 5 Lincoln County Board of Supervisors meeting.

This particular pay raise comes from Senate Bill 2719, which was approved during the 2022 session of the Mississippi Legislature and amends Section 25-3-13 of the Mississippi Code of 1972. The raise for Lincoln County Justice Court judges is allowed by Mississippi Code 25-3-36. The raise for the board attorney is allowed by Mississippi Code 19-3-47.

According to salary.com, as of June 28, the average district supervisor salary in Mississippi is $54,885, but the range typically falls between $49,137 and $60,389, depending on factors such as education, certifications, additional skills and the number of years spent in the profession.

Supervisors’ salaries are set by state law, based on the assessed valuation of the county. Lincoln County has a total assessed valuation of at least $300 million, but less than $1 billion, which allows the annual salaries to be set at no more than $50,000.

Though the job has typically been considered “part time,” the list is long when discussing the many parts of a supervisor’s job.

One is being on the receiving end of an unhappy citizen.

“When they wave their finger at you and say ‘I want this done — NOW,’” mused District 1’s Jerry Wilson about the many phone calls and visits supervisors must take to keep the county’s financial and physical world in tune.

District 3’s Nolan Williamson discussed how important, and sometimes immediate, a citizen will need help from a supervisors. He described one incident where a large commercial truck did so much damage to a woman’s yard, three cars had to be pulled out of the collapsed area and Williamson’s workers had to rebuild it.

Supervisors also discussed the most pressing issue they face with citizenry: “Everyone’s an engineer,” District 4’s Eddie Brown said. “Every road and every district, there is an engineer who knows better [than we do.]”

Supervisors were stoic about the raise, but not displeased.

“It’s been, what, 18 years since there has been a raise?” Williamson said about the rationale.

County Administrator Daniel Calcote said the legislature said it made the decision on raises as a way to move those official pay rates to a more comparable amount as compared to other states.

“Hopefully, we will have our supervisors for a long time, but if one doesn’t run again, we want to make sure we can attract the best candidates, and salaries are one way to do that,” he said.