HS HCS SCS SB 542 -- PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS

This bill allows public administrators in counties of the second, third, and fourth classification and the City of St. Louis to choose whether the method of compensation will be based on fees, as at present, or will be a salary determined by the number of cases handled by the office. In the event the public administrator for St. Louis elects to be a salaried employee, the salary must be at least $65,000 per year.

The compensation paid to a salaried public administrator will be determined by the average number of cases handled over a 2-year period, up to 39 cases. A public administrator with 40 or more cases is considered a full- time employee of the county and is paid a salary based on the assessed valuation of the county. Fees collected by a salaried public administrator will be deposited in the county treasury. In St. Louis City, such fees will be deposited in the city treasury.

Any full-time staff person in the office of the public administrator will be considered a county employee after January 1, 2001, and be eligible for benefits. The county may provide full-time staff to a public administrator with 50 or more cases per year. Public administrators in Buchanan, Camden, Cass, Cole, Franklin, Platte, and Jasper counties whose salaries are based on fees are allowed to join the Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System.