Case Name: ATTORNEY GENERAL v. OAKLAND COUNTY
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1983-02-14
Citations: 125 Mich. App. 157
Docket Number: Docket No. 59705
Parties: ATTORNEY GENERAL v OAKLAND COUNTY
Judges: Before: Cynar, P.J., and N. J. Kaufman and P. R. Mahinske, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 125
Pages: 157–159

Head Matter:
ATTORNEY GENERAL v OAKLAND COUNTY
Docket No. 59705.
Submitted June 22, 1982, at Detroit.
Decided February 14, 1983.
The Attorney General brought an action for declaratory judgment in Oakland Circuit Court, challenging certain raises given to Oakland County officers from December, 1976, until December, 1977. Named as defendants were the County of Oakland, Daniel Murphy, L. Brooks Patterson, Johannes Spreen, Lynn Allen and George Kuhn. Defendants moved for summary judgment. Robert B. Webster, J., granted defendants’ motion for summary judgment, holding that the controlling statute permits a county board of commissioners to increase the salaries of elected officers without limitation as to the effective date of such increases in salary. Plaintiff appeals. Held:
The Controlling statute empowers a county board of commissioners to increase the salary of a county officer during the term of office without limitation as to the effective date of such increase. The statute neither requires only one raise per year nor sets a date on which the raise becomes effective.
Affirmed.
Public Officers — Counties — Elected Officers *— Salaries.
A county board of commissioners is statutorily empowered to increase the salary of an elected county officer during the officer’s term of office without limitation as to the effective date of such increase in salary (MCL 45.421[1]; MSA 5.1101[1]).
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Louis J. Caruso, Solicitor General, and Alan H. Broad, Assistant Attorney General, for plaintiff.
Oakland County Civil Counsel (by Linda E. Wasielewski), for defendants. _
Reference for Points in Headnote
56 Am Jur 2d, Municipal Corporations, Counties, and Other Political Subdivisions § 262.
Before: Cynar, P.J., and N. J. Kaufman and P. R. Mahinske, JJ.
Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
Plaintiff initiated this action for declaratory relief, challenging certain raises given to Oakland County officers from December 1976 until December 1977, as violative of MCL 45.421; MSA 5.1101. From the circuit court's order granting defendants' motion for summary judgment on August 19, 1981, plaintiff appeals as of right.
This case involves interpretation of MCL 45.421(1); MSA 5.1101(1), which provides as follows:
"The annual salary of each salaried county officer, which is by law fixed by the county board of commissioners, shall be fixed by the board before November 1 each year and shall not be diminished during the term for which the county officer has been elected or appointed, but may be increased by the board during the officer's term of office."
Construing this statute, the circuit court concluded that MCL 45.421(1); MSA 5.1101(1) permits the county board of commissioners to increase the salaries of elected officers without limitation as to the effective date of such increases. Further, the circuit court opined that the November 1 date was continued by historical accident.
Plaintiff's position is that the county board of commissioners may increase the salaries of other elected county officers during their term of office, but that the vote to raise the salaries must be made on or before October 31 if the increase is to take effect on the following January 1. Seé OAG 1977-1978, No 5184, p 81 (March 28, 1977).
We agree with the circuit court that MCL 45.421(1); MSA 5.1101(1) empowers the county board of commissioners to increase salaries of county officers during their term of office without limitation as to the effective date of such increases. The statute neither requires only one raise per year nor sets a date on which the raises become effective.
Affirmed.