DECATUR - The Macon County Board on Thursday narrowly rejected a proposal to double the annual payments for board members but did approve raises for some county officeholders and employees.

A resolution before the board would have increased the pay of board members for the first time since 1989 by doubling the salary of board members from $2,000 to $4,000, as well as increasing by $2,000 the annual pay for the county board chairman to $16,500.

Under the resolution, the payment increases wouldn't have gone into effect until Dec. 1 for board members elected in November while board members whose terms expired in 2010 would not see a pay raise until after re-election.

The resolution failed with 12 members voting no, however board members Bob Sampson, D-Decatur, and Joe McGlaughlin, D-Decatur, initially approved the increase but changed their votes after the measure was certain not to pass. Board member David Wolfe, D-Oakley, was absent.

Board member Keith Ashby, R-Decatur, who voted against the final resolution, had earlier proposed an amendment that would have set board member salaries instead at $3,400, which he said was fairer because it would merely adjust for inflation the salary of two decades ago.

"I think it would be a bad example to ask more than the cost of living increase," Ashby said.

That resolution failed on a 10-10 vote as some board members opposed any salary increase whatsoever, while others thought the new $4,000 salary was more appropriate to account for inflation, as well as increased gas costs for board members who no longer are reimbursed for mileage expenses.

Other amendments that would have established a smaller salary increase of $3,000 or moved the effective date of the salary increase to Dec. 1, 2012, each failed by 5-15 votes.

The board approved salary increases for the offices of auditor, circuit clerk, coroner and recorder, who had their salaries frozen in 2004 during the county's budget crunch. Another resolution created a $6,500 stipend to supplement the auditor's salary.

Both measures passed by a 15-5 vote with board members Patricia Cox, R-Blue Mound, Phil Hogan, R-Dalton City, Merv Jacobs, R-Decatur, Linda Little, R-Decatur, and Don Westerman, R-Decatur opposed.

In addition, the board set a minimum annual salary for the county at $20,000 that would provide pay boosts for 47 county employees - mostly clerical workers.

Board members amended the resolution to exclude five animal control workers who make less than $20,000, because they said they would approve a pay increase for those hourly workers separately at a future meeting.

Mary Tallon can be reached at mtallon@ herald-review.com or 421-7984.