Improving Judicial Branch salaries is top priority for Judicial Branch budget request
Chief Justice Minton’s top budget priority for Fiscal Biennium 2022-2024 is a Salary Parity Plan that would improve salaries for non-elected court personnel and the elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks.
The Judicial Branch budget bill, House Bill 289, was filed Jan. 13 and Chief Justice Minton presented his funding requests to the House Appropriations & Revenue Committee on Feb. 1.
“For 14 years – since my early days as chief justice – my top priority has been to invest in the elected officials and non-elected employees who carry out the critical work of the courts," Chief Justice Minton said. “My goal has always been clear: Our salaries must be competitive with the other branches of state government so that our dedicated employees are fairly compensated and we have a level playing field in attracting and retaining high-caliber talent.”
He said that Judicial Branch salaries are estimated to be about $6,500 to $7,500 – 15% to 20% – less than those in the Executive and Legislative branches. He said that it is not rational for Judicial Branch compensation to lag so far behind the rest of state government.
The proposed Salary Parity Plan would provide a flat $10,000 salary increase for full-time positions and $5,000 for part-time positions. The plan would apply to all non-elected employees and all elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks.
Chief Justice Minton explained why he is asking for a flat increase instead of a percentage increase. “Nearly 82% of Judicial Branch employees are in grades 7-11 with starting salaries of only $23,604 to $30,936. A 5% or 6% increase for these employees would amount to only about $1,500 a year, which isn’t enough to keep up with inflation, much less improve quality of life and provide an incentive to keep working for the courts.”
He said the Judicial Branch is struggling to retain qualified candidates for non-elected positions because of low pay and that the turnover rate is alarming. “We’re seeing turnover at about 40% annually for urban areas and critical frontline positions, such as pretrial services specialists. We’ve lost over one-third of our workforce – about 1,000 employees – in the last four years. That means one-third of our employees have less than four years of experience with the court system.”
He also said that Kentucky’s justices, judges and circuit court clerks earn substantially less than other elected officials across the state and the nation.
Circuit court clerks, who serve every county and maintain records and dockets for Circuit and District courts, earn on average about $12,000 – 12% to 14% – less per year than elected county officials with similar levels of responsibility.
Kentucky justices and judges rank at the bottom of judicial salaries nationwide – 51st among judges in 55 states and U.S. territories. On average, they earn nearly $32,000 – 25% – less than the average pay of a general jurisdiction judge nationwide. Over the last 12 years, they have received only a 7% overall increase through small, sporadic raises: 1% in FY 2010, 1% in FY 2011, 2.5% in FY 2019 and 2.5% in FY 2020.
Watch Chief Justice Minton, AOC Director Givens discuss Salary Parity Plan for Judicial Branch
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Investing in Judicial Branch Personnel
One of Chief Justice Minton’s priorities has been to invest in the elected officials and non-elected employees who carry out the critical work of the courts. Judicial Branch salaries are 15% to 20% lower than in the other branches of state government and the Salary Parity Plan would be a good step toward fair compensation for court employees.
No Reason for Longtime Pay Inequity Among Branches of State Government
The Judicial Branch makes up only about 3% of the state budget and the majority of its funding covers salaries for employees and elected officials. It’s not rational for Judicial Branch compensation to lag so far behind the rest of state government.
Flat Dollar Increase Needed Instead of Percentage Increase
The Salary Parity Plan would provide a $10,000 flat dollar amount for all full-time employees instead of a percentage increase. Nearly 82% of court employees are in grades 7-11 with starting salaries of only $23,604 to $30,936. A 5% or 6% increase, while welcome, would amount to only about $1,500 a year, which isn’t enough to keep up with inflation, much less improve quality of life and provide an incentive to keep working for the courts. And 54% of employees are in the Tier 3 cash/hybrid retirement plan, which offers a significantly reduced benefit compared with Tiers 1 and 2 of the state pension plan.
Low Pay and High Turnover = Dire Situation
Judicial Branch is struggling to attract and retain qualified candidates for non-elected positions because of low pay. The turnover is an alarming 40% annually for urban areas and critical front line positions, such as pretrial services specialists. Courts system has lost one-third of its workforce – about 1,000 employees – in the last four years.
Justice and Judges Near Bottom of Salaries Nationwide
Kentucky justices and judges rank 51st in pay among judges in 55 states and U.S. territories. On average, they earn nearly $32,000 – 25% less – than the average pay of a general jurisdiction judge nationwide. And they have received only a 7% overall increase over the last 12 years. The longer we postpone action, the more difficult it will be to catch up on lost wages and avoid diminishing the quality of the Kentucky judiciary.
Pay Parity for Circuit Court Clerks & Deputy Clerks
Circuit court clerks, who maintain records and dockets for Circuit and District courts, earn about $12,000 less per year than elected county officials with similar duties. Circuit clerks have worked hard for years to achieve pay parity for themselves and their deputy clerks.
Running Out of Time to Rectify Pay Inequity
Court programs and services are in jeopardy if we cannot pay enough to attract qualified employees and entice them to stay. Court system could be on the verge of a tipping point if we don’t move quickly to rectify the pay inequities that have plagued the Judicial Branch for decades.
Advocating for Judicial Branch Employees
Chief Justice Minton and Director Givens hear and understand the salary concerns of court employees, circuit court clerks and judges. They pledge to do everything they can to promote the Salary Parity Plan to the legislature so that Judicial Branch employees will be treated fairly and compensated adequately.