Mississippi spent $8.1 million in salaries and expenses for the state’s legislators in 2015-16, according to the annual Expenses and Appropriations report by the state auditor’ office released on Monday.
Of that total, more than $309,000 compensated Golden Triangle area legislators.
The report details all of the state’s expenditures and appropriations from the end of the 2015 legislative session (April 6) through the end of the 2016 session (April 21).
It showed that Mississippi’s budget for that period was $26,628,212.
The spending reflects $5.8 million in general funds and $14.9 million in “other funds,” almost all of which comes from the federal government.
In addition to salaries of the legislators, the state spent $4.7 million for “fringe benefits,” which include mileage and per-diem for legislators as well as expenses for legislative budget office and the peer legislative committee.
Legislators are paid a base salary of $10,000, plus $1,500 for each month the legislature is not in session. Lawmakers were also paid $150 for the two-day special session held in June. Beyond their salaries, legislators are paid 54 cents per mile for travel as well as a $140 per diem when the legislature is in session.
Locally, total compensation for the Golden Triangle’s eight legislators ranged from $21,990 (Rob Roberson, District 43 House) to $51,550 (Gary Jackson, District 15 Senate).
Total compensation for other local legislators was: Gary Chism (District 37 House), $42,345; Tyrone Ellis (District 38 House), $45,910; Kabir Karriem (District 41 House), $23,138; Jeff Smith (District 39 House), $36,264; Angela Turner (District 16 Senate), $45,599; and Chuck Younger (District 17 Senate), $42,530.
The compensation for Roberson and Karriem is lower than the other legislators because both men did not join the House until January after being elected to serve in November.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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