1. (A) The salary of the office of probate judge is based on a salary schedule which uses base salaries determined by population categories according to the latest official United States Decennial Census. The governing body of each county shall pay the probate judge of the county a base salary as follows:

   1. (1) for those counties with a population of two hundred thousand and above, the base salary is fifty-nine thousand dollars;
   2. (2) for those counties with a population of at least one hundred fifty thousand but not more than one hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine, the base salary is forty-nine thousand dollars;
   3. (3) for those counties with a population of at least one hundred thousand but not more than one hundred forty-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine, the base salary is thirty-eight thousand dollars;
   4. (4) for those counties with a population of at least fifty thousand but not more than ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine, the base salary is thirty-three thousand dollars;
   5. (5) for those counties with a population of at least thirty-five thousand but not more than forty-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine, the base salary is thirty-one thousand, five hundred dollars;
   6. (6) for those counties with a population of at least twenty thousand but not more than thirty-four thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine, the base salary is twenty-five thousand dollars;
   7. (7) for those counties with a population less than twenty thousand, the base salary is twenty-two thousand, five hundred dollars.

2. (B) The South Carolina Court Administration is charged with monitoring compliance with this section. Nothing contained in this section may be construed as prohibiting a county from paying in excess of the minimum base salaries provided for in this section.

   A probate judge is entitled to the same perquisites as those employees of the county of similar position and salary.

   A cost of living increase must be paid by the county in the amount provided classified state employees in the annual state general appropriations act of the previous fiscal year. The base salaries provided for in this Part must be adjusted annually based on the percentage amount of the cost of living increase paid to classified state employees in the annual state general appropriations act of the previous fiscal year.

HISTORY: 1988 Act No. 678, Part IV, Section 2, eff January 1, 1989.