Senate Pro Tem’s staff see double-digit pay increases

By Bill Britt
Alabama Political Reporter

MONTGOMERY–State employees have not seen a pay raise since 2008. Teachers have not had a raise since 2007. But, if you worked for President Pro Tem Del Marsh in 2012, you might have received a 23 percent pay increase.

In January, Governor Bentley said that, “the money is just not there for a state employees’ pay raise,” according to a report by the AP.

In the same article Bentley said that pay raises were made difficult because of the need to payback $437 million borrowed from the ATF.

In fact, this year the state will only pay $5 million toward the money taken from the oil and gas trustfund.

Last week according to a report by Phillip Rawls of The Associated Press, Bentley said, “My goal is to have close to a 10 percent pay raise by the end of three years. I think it is reasonable.”

Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard did not seem back the Governor’s idea  of a teachers’ pay increase telling Rawls, “It was a great goal,” but expressed that it would be difficult to do.

Hubbard has increased spending in the Speaker’s Office by 82.6 percent over his democratic predecessor Seth Hammett. Hubbard has also been cold to the idea of state employees receiving any type of pay increase. Yet, when it comes to staffing their own office Marsh and Hubbard have seen fit to offer many increases.

In 2012, Marsh’s Chief of Staff Phillip Bryan received a 23.81 percent pay raise. This pay increase brought Bryan’s annual salary to $105,000.00.

Before becoming Marsh’s Chief of Staff, Bryan worked as communications director for Mike Hubbard at the ALGOP.

Derek Trotter, Marsh’s Communications Director, received an 11.53 percent pay increase bringing his government salary to $64,992.00 annually.

Ryan Cantrell who works a policy analyst for the Senate received a 12.13 percent pay raise, bringing his current annual pay to $62,592.00.

Other republican staffer’s received sizable pay increases while the democrats employed by the Alabama Senate received none.

Winning elections as fiscal conservatives the Speaker of the House has raised his budget to new heights. While Marsh has decreased overall spending in the Pro Tem’s office, the 2012 pay raises certainly have not been in keeping with promises made to the voters of Alabama.