By Randy Ludlow
The Columbus Dispatch – Friday February 20, 2015
Gov. John Kasich is asking state lawmakers to approve a little more than a 20 percent pay raise over four years for Ohio’s justices and judges whose paychecks have not changed since 2008.
Kasich’s proposed budget suggests four-year pay raises that would range from $32,600 for the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court to $14,250 for county court judges and part-time municipal court judges.
Judges, along with statewide officials, lawmakers, elected county officials and township trustees, have not received a raise since 2008. Kasich wants to increase judges’ salaries by 5 percent annually over four years beginning July 1.
1851 Center for Constitutional Law
One way for a Governor to ensure that his more questionable policies stand up to judicial scrutiny: dramatically raise the pay of the judges who will decide those issues
Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor (Republican) has lobbied for judicial pay raises, saying the $121,350 yearly salary of a common pleas court judge has dwindled to $20,300 below the national average and 43rd in the nation.
The annual pay of a common pleas judge would rise by $26,250 over four years to $147,600 under the governor’s proposal.
The annual salary of the chief justice would reach $183,450 in 2018, while the six justices would receive $30,600 raises to $172,200 a year.
O’Connor has said that salaries uncompetitive with private law firms would discourage qualified lawyers from running for election to the bench as Ohio faces a flurry of judges being ousted by the mandatory retirement age of 70.
“On behalf of all of Ohio’s judges, I am grateful that Gov. Kasich has included the court’s request for a market adjustment in the budget. The proposed market adjustment is meant to bring Ohio judges on par with judges nationally,” O’Connor said in a statement on Friday.
(The Republican’s budget recommends increasing the judiciary’s
operating spending,including the raises, by $9,500,000.00
that is $9 million 500 thousand dollars
“INCREASE”.
The Real Question Here Is…
- Did all these people NOT know what the pay scale was?
- If it was NOT what they wanted why run for the position?
- Were they forced into a thirty year contract?
- If they don’t like the pay – huge benefits – nine to five no stress job… Then Just Quit.
We always hear during every election cycle from want-to-be politicians… “I am running for office because, I just want to serve the good people of my area, money is not the reason I am doing this.
NO it really is all about the…
Money
Power
Political Prestige