OSAGE COUNTY — Several Osage County elected officials will receive higher salaries as they begin new terms under a state law taking effect Aug. 28.

House Bill 1825, signed by Gov. Mike Kehoe on July 13, establishes new salary schedules for several county offices based on assessed valuation, and changes how salaries will be adjusted in the future.

Osage County’s 2025 assessed valuation is $316,103,492, placing it in the $300,000,001-to-$350 million bracket under the new schedules.

Under HB 1825, the annual salary for the county clerk, recorder of deeds, collector, assessor, and treasurer will be $54,100 for officials beginning a term after Aug. 28, 2026. The same schedule applies to county auditors and to full-time public administrators with 40 or more open letters.

The clerk, recorder, and treasurer currently receive $47,407.50 annually. The assessor and collector receive minor additional compensation.

For an office currently paying $47,407.50, the new $54,100 salary represents an increase of $6,692.50, or approximately 14.1%.

However, $2,000 of the salary for the clerk, recorder, collector, assessor, treasurer, auditor, and qualifying public administrator is contingent on completing at least 20 hours of approved training each calendar year or an alternative approved by the applicable professional association.

County commissioners will also receive an increase. At Osage County’s assessed valuation, HB 1825 sets their annual salary at $35,700. The district commissioners currently receive $31,288.95 per year. The presiding commissioner receives $2,000 more, which will continue under the new law.

Of the commissioners’ authorized salary, $2,000 is payable only if they complete at least 20 hours of approved training each year or an approved alternative.

The law does not increase the coroner’s statutory salary schedule. At an assessed valuation of $300 million or more, the schedule remains $16,000, with $1,000 contingent on completion of 20 hours of qualifying training. The county salary commission may approve compensation for a coroner of up to $14,000 above the statutory schedule.

The public administrator’s compensation depends on caseload. Public administrators with 40 or more open letters are considered full-time county officials and, for terms beginning after Aug. 28, fall under the new assessed-valuation schedule. Those with fewer than 40 letters are paid under a separate schedule based on the average number of open letters.

The sheriff is not included in the new salary schedules established by HB 1825.

The prosecuting attorney is governed by a different compensation system. The law replaces the assessed-valuation schedule for prosecutors with compensation tied to judicial salaries. The commission previously adjusted Prosecutor Amanda Grellner’s salary to reflect this change.

Although HB 1825 takes effect Aug. 28, the new salary schedules will not take effect for all affected officials on that date. The law specifies that the new amounts apply to officials who begin terms after Aug. 28, so the increases will phase in as new terms begin.