HB294 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Alan BakerRepresentative

Republican

Co-Sponsor

Mike Jones

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Escambia County, county officers, Judge of Probate, sheriff, tax assessor and tax collector, expense allowance and salary

Summary

HB294 raises salaries for Escambia County's judge of probate, sheriff, tax assessor, and tax collector, and adds temporary expense allowances for the judge and sheriff to reach those levels, with retirement and funding details.

What This Bill Does

The bill sets the judge of probate's starting salary at $88,000 per year and the sheriff's starting salary at $96,000 per year effective Oct 1, 2021, and sets the tax assessor and tax collector salaries at $84,000 per year. It provides temporary expense allowances for the judge of probate and the sheriff to bridge the gap to these new salaries as of Oct 1, 2021, payable from the county general fund and in addition to other pay. The expense allowances are repealed when the next term of office begins, at which point the fixed salaries take effect; the allowances are considered salary for retirement purposes. The act becomes effective immediately after passage, with the salary changes effective on the specified dates.

Who It Affects

• Judge of Probate of Escambia County — eligible salary as of Oct 1, 2021 will be supplemented by a temporary expense allowance to reach $88,000, then the salary becomes $88,000 going forward; retirement calculations include the expense allowance.
• Sheriff of Escambia County — eligible salary as of Oct 1, 2021 will be supplemented by a temporary expense allowance to reach $96,000, then the salary becomes $96,000 going forward; retirement calculations include the expense allowance.
• Tax Assessor and Tax Collector of Escambia County — salary set at $84,000 per year starting Oct 1, 2021; funded from the appropriate county funds; retirement considerations apply to this salary.

Key Provisions

• Section 1: Judge of Probate salary set at $88,000 per year starting Oct 1, 2021; an expense allowance will bridge the difference between $88,000 and the judge's current eligible salary as of Oct 1, 2021; the allowance is paid from the county general fund and repealed when the next term of office begins.
• Section 2: Sheriff salary set at $96,000 per year starting Oct 1, 2021; an expense allowance will bridge the difference between $96,000 and the sheriff's current eligible salary as of Oct 1, 2021; the allowance is paid from the county general fund and repealed when the next term of office begins.
• Section 3: Tax Assessor and Tax Collector salaries fixed at $84,000 per year starting Oct 1, 2021; salaries payable from the fund used for current salaries.
• Section 4: Any expense allowances provided are treated as salary for retirement purposes.
• Section 5: The act becomes effective immediately after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Escambia County