PROVO — The three top elected officials in Utah County may give themselves an $11,000-a-year raise in 2005.

Those leaders — the Utah County Commission — also are thinking about kicking up yearly salaries of the county's attorney, assessor, recorder, clerk-auditor, treasurer and sheriff by the same amount.

Commissioners Gary Herbert, Jerry Grover and Steve White entertain the proposal while also trying to close a $1.2 million gap between available revenue and estimated expenses.

If they do it, each commissioner's paycheck would rise from $70,980 to $81,588 a year.

The proposed increases would raise the county attorney's salary from $89,544 to $100,568. The county sheriff would draw $87,516 a year instead of the $76,128 he currently takes home.

Personnel director Lana Jensen said the county's elected officials haven't had a pay increase since 2001 and are falling behind other counties with smaller populations, such as Weber and Davis.

Grover said other government entities also have more support staff as well as higher salaries for comparable positions.

Herbert, the newly elected lieutenant governor, will make less money in his new position — $78,000 a year — than he would if he had stayed on the commission. "But I think most of us in public service aren't here to get rich quick. We're not in it for the money."

Herbert said he believes taxpayers expect elected officials to be paid fairly, but the question is understanding and agreeing what's fair.

"We're unique here in that we have to raise our own pay, and it's awkward," Herbert said.

Mel Hudman, Utah County treasurer, said he feels elected officials in Utah County are underpaid. Utah County clerk-auditor Kim Jackson said the county is slipping steadily from among the top-paying governmental entities.

"Where in the 1970s we were the second-largest county in the state and the second-highest paid, now, we're the largest second-class county, and we're in fifth or sixth place," Jackson said.

The commissioners will make a final decision on the proposed $53.5 million budget after the next public hearing Dec. 14 at 9 a.m.

Wages for all county employees will probably go up in July after a market study — which is done every three years — is completed, said Jensen.

Utah County employs 800 full-time workers and 200 seasonal or part-time people.

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