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WEST virginia legislature
2026 regular session
Enrolled
Committee Substitute
for
Committee Substitute
for
Senate Bill 587
By Senators Clements, Chapman, Charnock, Deeds, Grady, Hamilton, Helton, Phillips, Takubo, Tarr, Thorne, Morris, Rose, Weld, Roberts, and Z. Maynard
[Passed March 14, 2026; to take effect July 1, 2026]
AN ACT to amend and reenact §7-7-1 and §7-7-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to providing increased salaries for county commissioners, sheriffs, county clerks, circuit clerks, county assessors and prosecuting attorneys; making legislative findings; eliminating requirement for the Auditor to certify that the fiscal condition of the county has sufficiently improved over the previous fiscal years so that there exists an amount sufficient for payment of the increase in salaries and related employment taxes; and eliminating requirement that who desire to receive increased salary must prior to effective date of salary increase have filed in the office of clerk of the county commission his or her written request for the salary increase.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 7. COMPENSATION OF ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS.
§7-7-1. Legislative findings and purpose.
(a) The Legislature finds that it has, since January 1, 2023, consistently and annually imposed upon the county commissioners, sheriffs, county and circuit clerks, assessors, and prosecuting attorneys in each county new and additional duties by the enactment of new provisions and amendments to this code. The new and additional duties imposed upon the aforesaid county officials by these enactments are such that they would justify the increases in compensation as provided in §7-7-4 of this code, without violating the provisions of W. Va. Const. Art. VI, §38.
(b) The Legislature further finds that there are, from time to time, additional duties imposed upon all county officials through the acts of the Congress of the United States and that such acts constitute new and additional duties for county officials and, as such, justify the increases in compensation as provided by §7-7-4 of this code, without violating the provisions of W. Va. Const. Art. VI, §38.
(c) The Legislature further finds that there is a direct correlation between the total assessed property valuations of a county on which the salary levels of the county commissioners, sheriffs, county and circuit clerks, assessors, and prosecuting attorneys are based, and the new and additional duties that each of these officials is required to perform as they serve the best interests of their respective counties. Inasmuch as the reappraisal of the property valuations in each county has now been accomplished, the Legislature finds that a change in classification of counties by virtue of increased property valuations will occur on an infrequent basis. However, it is the further finding of the Legislature that when such change in classification of counties does occur, that new and additional programs, economic developments, requirements of public safety and the need for new services provided by county officials all increase, that the same constitute new and additional duties for county officials as their respective counties reach greater heights of economic development, as exemplified by the substantial increases in property valuations and, as such, justify the increases in compensation provided in §7-7-4 of this code, without violating the provisions of W. Va. Const. Art. VI, §38.
(d) The Legislature further finds and declares that the amendments enacted to this article are intended to modify the provisions of this article so as to cause the same to be in full compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of West Virginia and to be in full compliance with the decisions of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
§7-7-4. Compensation of elected county officials and county commissioners for each class of county; effective date.
(1) The increased salaries to be paid to the county commissioners and the other elected county officials described in this section on and after July 1, 2014, on and after July 1, 2022, and on and after July 1, 2026, are set out in subsections (2) and (4) of this section. Every county commissioner and elected county official in each county, whose term of office commenced prior to or on or after July 1, 2014, shall receive the same annual salary by virtue of legislative findings of extra duties as set forth in §7-7-1 of this code.
(2) Prior to July 1, 2014:
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Class I $36,960
Class II $36,300
Class III $35,640
Class IV $34,980
Class V $34,320
Class VI $28,380
Class VII $27,720
Class VIII $25,080
Class IX $24,420
Class X $19,800
After June 30, 2014:
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Class I $41,395
Class II $40,656
Class III $39,917
Class IV $39,178
Class V $38,438
Class VI $31,786
Class VII $31,046
Class VIII $28,090
Class IX $27,350
Class X $22,176
After June 30, 2022:
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Class I $45,535
Class II $44,722
Class III $43,909
Class IV $43,096
Class V $42,282
Class VI $34,965
Class VII $34,151
Class VIII $30,899
Class IX $30,085
Class X $24,394
After June 30, 2026:
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Class I $47,812
Class II $46,958
Class III $46,104
Class IV $45,251
Class V $44,396
Class VI $36,713
Class VII $35,859
Class VIII $32,444
Class IX $31,589
Class X $25,614
(3) For the purpose of determining the salaries to be paid to the elected county officials of each county, the salaries for each county office by class, set out in subsection (4) of this section, are established and shall be used by each county commission in determining the salaries of each of their county officials other than salaries of members of the county commission.
(4) Prior to July 1, 2014:
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
Sheriff
County Clerk
Circuit Clerk
Assessor
Prosecuting Attorney
Class I
$44,880
$55,440
$55,440
$44,880
$96,600
Class II
$44,220
$54,780
$54,780
$44,220
$94,400
Class III
$43,890
$53,460
$53,460
$43,890
$92,200
Class IV
$43,560
$53,154
$53,154
$43,560
$90,000
Class V
$43,230
$52,800
$52,800
$43,230
$87,800
Class VI
$42,900
$49,500
$49,500
$42,900
$59,400
Class VII
$42,570
$48,840
$48,840
$42,570
$56,760
Class VIII
$42,240
$48,180
$48,180
$42,240
$54,120
Class IX
$41,910
$47,520
$47,520
$41,910
$50,160
Class X
$38,280
$42,240
$42,240
$38,280
$46,200
After June 30, 2014:
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
Sheriff
County Clerk
Circuit Clerk
Assessor
Prosecuting Attorney
Class I
$50,266
$62,093
$62,093
$50,266
$108,192
Class II
$49,526
$61,354
$61,354
$49,526
$105,728
Class III
$49,157
$59,875
$59,875
$49,157
$103,264
Class IV
$48,787
$59,536
$59,536
$48,787
$100,800
Class V
$48,418
$59,136
$59,136
$48,418
$98,336
Class VI
$48,048
$55,440
$55,440
$48,048
$66,528
Class VII
$47,678
$54,701
$54,701
$47,678
$63,571
Class VIII
$47,309
$53,962
$53,962
$47,309
$60,614
Class IX
$46,939
$53,222
$53,222
$46,939
$56,179
Class X
$42,874
$47,309
$47,309
$42,874
$51,744
After June 30, 2022:
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
Sheriff
County Clerk
Circuit Clerk
Assessor
Prosecuting Attorney
Class I
$56,793
$68,302
$68,302
$56,793
$119,011
Class II
$55,979
$67,489
$67,489
$55,979
$116,301
Class III
$55,573
$65,863
$65,863
$55,573
$113,590
Class IV
$55,166
$65,485
$65,485
$55,166
$110,880
Class V
$54,760
$65,050
$65,050
$54,760
$108,170
Class VI
$54,353
$60,984
$60,984
$53,853
$73,181
Class VII
$53,946
$60,171
$60,171
$53,446
$69,928
Class VIII
$53,540
$59,358
$59,358
$52,940
$66,675
Class IX
$53,133
$58,544
$58,544
$52,533
$61,797
Class X
$48,661
$52,040
$52,040
$47,811
$56,918
After June 30, 2026:
OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS
Sheriff
County Clerk
Circuit Clerk
Assessor
Prosecuting Attorney
Class I
$59,633
$71,717
$71,717
$59,633
$124,962
Class II
$58,778
$70,863
$70,863
$58,778
$122,116
Class III
$58,352
$69,156
$69,156
$58,352
$119,270
Class IV
$57,924
$68,759
$68,759
$57,924
$116,424
Class V
$57,498
$68,303
$68,303
$57,498
$113,579
Class VI
$57,071
$64,033
$64,033
$56,546
$76,840
Class VII
$56,643
$63,180
$63,180
$56,118
$73,424
Class VIII
$55,167
$62,326
$62,326
$55,587
$70,009
Class IX
$55,790
$61,471
$61,471
$55,160
$64,887
Class X
$51,094
$54,642
$54,642
$50,202
$59,764
(5) Any county clerk, circuit clerk, county assessor, prosecuting attorney, or sheriff of a Class I through Class V county, inclusive, any assessor or any sheriff of a Class VI through Class IX county, inclusive, shall devote full time to his or her public duties to the exclusion of any other employment:
Provided
, That any public official whose term of office begins when his or her county’s classification imposes no restriction on his or her outside activities may not be restricted on his or her outside activities during the remainder of the term for which he or she is elected.
The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate
...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates
Originated in the Senate.
To take effect July 1, 2026.
...............................................................
President of the Senate
...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates
__________
The within is ................................................ this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
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