22 members oppose pay raise for Georgia Governor [View all]

The Georgia House of Representatives is heading back to the Gold Dome this week after passing nearly 100 bills during the second half of last week. One of those was a hefty pay raise for the Governor.

House Bill 202, sponsored by state representative Jay Powell, seeks to give the Governor a $115,000 annual raise. The salary currently in Georgia code is $60,000 annually and House Bill 202 would brings that salary to a solid $175,000. Interestingly, the Governor of Georgia currently makes well beyond $60,000, with reports in recent years showing a salary of $139,339. Even at nearly $140,000, Georgia ranks No. 23 – just above the median – in the nation for gubernatorial pay.

Interestingly, the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Chris Riley, earns just under $1,000 less than the Governor at the current rate. Riley was paid $138,499.82 in 2016.

The bill would not take effect until January 1, 2019, which means the bill would not apply to Governor Deal who is unable to seek a third term. That justification, however, was not enough for some Georgia House members. The $175,000 threshold would make Georgia’s Governor the 6th highest paid governor in the U.S., following only Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Read more: http://evans.allongeorgia.com/22-members-oppose-pay-raise-for-georgia-governor/