Bill seeking substantial raises for Georgia judges moves forward

Many top judges will get 10 percent raises in their state pay next year under a Senate proposal likely to see final passage, dwarfing the salary boost being offered to teachers and other state employees.

That amounts to about a $12,000 boost in state pay for many Superior Court judges. The across-the-board pay bump will do nothing to change the fact that judges in one part of the state earn tens of thousands of dollars more than colleagues elsewhere in Georgia. Or that Superior Court judges in places such as Marietta and Savannah are paid far more than justices on the Georgia Supreme Court.

The judicial pay bill, overwhelmingly approved Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee and almost certain to pass the full chamber in coming days, would also cost the state far more than the $1.36 million for raises that was included in the state budget backed by the Senate last week. How much more was unclear, but the committee approved it anyway.

Sen. Charlie Bethel, R-Dalton, a lawyer assigned to handle House Bill 279 in his chamber, said the pay raise deal was worked out in consultation with Gov. Nathan Deal and judges.

“There is a recognition that there needs to be an adjustment (in pay),” Bethel said.

Some lawmakers weren’t waiting for a deal on HB 279 to get worked out, filing legislation this week to boost county supplements to judges in Clayton and Gwinnett counties.

Judges have been lobbying state lawmakers since before the 2015 session began for pay raises, saying they hadn’t received increases since 1999. Bethel, however, said that over the years they have received some cost-of-living increases, as did other state employees. Superior Court judges in all but one circuit also receive county subsidies ranging from $5,000 to more than $65,000 a year. Lawmakers in many circuits have increased those county supplements over the years.

The House approved $12,000 raises for judges on the Georgia Supreme Court and Court of Appeals and pay increases for Superior Court judges who received county supplements of less than $30,000 a year.

About half of the circuits would have been cut out because they have higher supplements. The judges lobbied to get raises for all judges. The Senate passed a budget last week that gave everybody small raises.

That changed Wednesday in a meeting packed with the interested parties: judges, district attorneys and public defenders.

The deal struck gives Supreme Court and Appeals Court judges 5 percent pay raises. A Supreme Court justice would make $175,600 starting next year, an Appeals Court judge would make $174,500.

Superior Court judges, district attorneys and public defenders would get 5 percent raises, too. In addition, Bethel said under a proposal Deal made, those officials in circuits with accountability courts — a majority of the circuits — would get an additional $6,000 boost.

Accountability courts, backed by Deal, require defendants to go to work, stay sober and get treatment. Most offenders enter the programs to stay out of prison and, if they graduate, get their charges dismissed. Judges say they perform accountability court work in addition to their regular duties.

With the accountability court supplements, many of the judges, district attorneys and public defenders would see a $12,000 increase.

That would bump the pay of some Superior Court judges in places such as Marietta, Augusta and Savannah to at or near $200,000 year.

The bill would also temporarily cap supplements in some circuits and create a commission to make recommendations on judicial pay.

A few senators questioned the wisdom of granting pay raises before the commission makes recommendations. Others wanted to know the full cost of the raises.

Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, voted against the bill because Bethel couldn’t tell him how much it would cost. “I can’t vote for something when we don’t have a fiscal note” detailing the cost, Albers said.