Georgia Senators to Work for Free? Cobb Elections Office Posts Blank Salaries
Show Me the Money: GA State Assembly Fiscal Office Releases Salary Figures
This will eventually be corrected, so an archived copy is posted here.
A late-night research project by a potential candidate for state office revealed an easy-to-reach $400 filing fee and a blank salary. James Salzer, a reporter for the AJC, revealed the salary to be $17,000 in an article appropriately entitled "Cost of politics puts off potential candidates," published on April 30, 2008. Salzer's article can be found here.
Small salaries have been criticized by a few Atlanta locals because the poverty-level wages don't pay enough to avoid a sell-out or to prevent potentially lucrative back-door deals from taking place. "Andre" at the Georgia Politics Unfiltered Blogspot supports a wage increase. Further research revealed no other information about the salary figure.
So what is the final figure? The Georgia State Assembly's Fiscal Office was the best resource, as they manage the money. A call to the office revealed the following information: The base salary for a GA Senator is exactly $17,341.68. Then they receive a per diem stipend of $173 per session day or Committee Meeting day attended. With 40 session days attended each year, the salary ends up being approximately $24,261.00 not including any special Committee Meeting days. The Senate is considered a part-time career and other income provides the necessary funds to survive.
Sources:
1. GA State Assembly Fiscal Office, via telephone interview at 11:27am, 05/18/2010.
2. 2010 Qualifying Fees For State Offices, Cobb County Elections Office (2010)
3. Salzer, J. (2008) Cost of politics puts off potential candidates. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 04/30/2008.
4. Andre (2008) State Legislators' Pay Increase Would Cost $12.2 Million. Georgia Politics Unfiltered. 05/01/2008.
Published by Amy Barnes
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- GA Senators have a base salary of $17,341.68 and a per diem of $173.
- The GA State Assembly Fiscal Office provided the best data available.
- Membership to the GA State Senate is officially considered a part-time job.