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AlabamaSB2592026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Counties and municipalities; compensation of local officials, revised

Sponsored By: Bobby D. Singleton (Democratic)

Enacted

Counties & Municipalities

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.

County officials share qualifying employee raises

Beginning June 1, 2026, eligible county officials receive the same qualifying uniform raises as full-time county employees. Raises apply to base salary and expense allowances; excluding employees on probation does not disqualify a raise. Merit raises qualify only when all employees receive the same dollar amount or percentage. Step raises must be uniform, with officials' service credits handled the same way as other employees'. An incumbent's salary increase ordinarily becomes an expense allowance until the next term, when it becomes base salary. If a state constitutional amendment allows an in-term salary increase, the county pays it at the next fiscal year's start. Legally authorized deductions can fund supernumerary programs.

State-linked local officials face raise limits

Beginning June 1, 2026, local officials whose pay is tied to state officials' pay are excluded from uniform county raises. Conflicting local laws enacted before the 2026 Regular Session become invalid when the May 31, 2026 officeholder leaves office. After the 2025 Regular Session, local laws cannot authorize conflicting uniform raises, although lawmakers can still grant separate local-law increases. For pay tied wholly or partly to circuit or district judges, new calculations apply starting with the next term after October 1, 2025. Those calculations use Section 12-10B-1 base amounts, and service or longevity adjustments count only actual time in office.

Supernumerary officials excluded from county raises

Beginning June 1, 2026, people holding supernumerary offices do not receive pay or expense allowance increases under this chapter. Another law can provide an exception.

New base pay rules for county officials

Beginning June 1, 2026, covered Alabama county offices use their May 31, 2026 base compensation as the pay baseline. Covered offices include commission chairs and members, probate judges, sheriffs, tax assessors, tax collectors, revenue commissioners, license commissioners, and elected assistant tax assessors or collectors. Officials first elected or appointed after July 1, 2025, inherit the previous officeholder's pay, including uniform raises but excluding longevity and merit pay. The law replaces earlier salary schedules, minimums, and separate allowance rules, with retroactive baseline and transition rules. All 67 counties use the 1990 census for population pay categories. Categories 1–6 cover populations above 450,000; 350,001–449,999; 200,001–350,000; 50,001–200,000; 19,000–50,000; and below 19,000, respectively. The law does not set a new dollar amount for each office.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Bobby D. Singleton

    Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 417 • No: 2

Senate vote • 3/3/2026

Singleton Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 665

Yes: 29 • No: 0

House vote • 2/26/2026

Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 631

Yes: 98 • No: 0 • Other: 6

House vote • 2/26/2026

Third Reading in Second House

Yes: 99 • No: 1 • Other: 2

House vote • 2/26/2026

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 632

Yes: 100 • No: 0 • Other: 4

Senate vote • 2/12/2026

Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 391

Yes: 29 • No: 0 • Other: 1

Senate vote • 2/12/2026

Third Reading in House of Origin

Yes: 30 • No: 1

Senate vote • 2/12/2026

Singleton motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 390

Yes: 32 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Enacted

    3/13/2026Senate

  2. Delivered to Governor

    3/5/2026Senate

  3. Signature Requested

    3/5/2026House

  4. Enrolled

    3/4/2026Senate

  5. Singleton Concur In and Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 665

    3/3/2026Senate

  6. Ready to Enroll

    3/3/2026Senate

  7. Third Reading in Second House

    2/26/2026House

  8. Lee 1st Amendment Offered

    2/26/2026House

  9. Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 631

    2/26/2026House

  10. Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 632

    2/26/2026House

  11. Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

    2/19/2026House

  12. Reported Out of Committee Second House

    2/18/2026House

  13. Third Reading in House of Origin

    2/12/2026Senate

  14. County and Municipal Government 1st Amendment Offered

    2/12/2026Senate

  15. Singleton motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 390

    2/12/2026Senate

  16. Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 391

    2/12/2026Senate

  17. Engrossed

    2/12/2026Senate

  18. Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on County and Municipal Government

    2/12/2026House

  19. Pending Committee Action in Second House

    2/12/2026House

  20. County and Municipal Government 1st Amendment

    2/10/2026Senate

  21. Reported Out of Committee House of Origin

    2/10/2026Senate

  22. Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar

    2/10/2026Senate

  23. Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on County and Municipal Government

    2/3/2026Senate

  24. Pending Committee Action in House of Origin

    2/3/2026Senate

Bill Text

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