Citizens’ panel rejects pay raise for Washington’s governorFree

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, who did not offer raises to thousands of state workers in recent contract talks, will not get one himself for the next two years, under a recommendation adopted by a citizen salary-setting panel Thursday.

Salaries for the attorney general and lieutenant governor also will be frozen with the proposed schedule drawn up by the Washington Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials at a daylong meeting in an Olympia hotel.

Commissioners did agree, however, to give state lawmakers — along with the superintendent of public instruction, treasurer, and commissioner of public lands — increases of 2 percent on July 1, 2027, and another 2 percent on July 1, 2028. Judges, including state Supreme Court justices, also would receive 2 percent hikes next July and 2 percent a year later.

And, in one of their final votes, they agreed to boost the salaries of the offices of the secretary of state, insurance commissioner and state auditor by 5 percent in each of the next two years.

“We have salaries that will not attract the best candidates available in our state,” Commissioner Steve Smith said in explaining why these state executives should receive a greater bump in their annual earnings.

Thursday’s action stood in stark contrast to the last round of salary setting, in 2024, when the commission raised pay for the jobs of governor and attorney general by 14 percent over two years. Cost-of-living adjustments made up a third of the total, with the rest intended to account for growing duties of the elected positions and rising costs of living.

On Thursday, commissioners balked at boosting their salaries in light of the state’s strained fiscal condition and the belief that their job responsibilities haven’t noticeably changed from that last round. Ferguson earns $234,275 a year; Nick Brown hauls in $221,614, making him one of the nation’s highest-paid attorney generals.

Commissioner Melody Adams-Forsstrom made the motion to freeze the salary for the governor’s job.

“He got a huge increase last time,” she said. “Though I am speaking for myself, I think we really represent the taxpayers of the state and what they’re facing and their circumstances.”

Throughout the day’s discussions, members made references to new two-year contracts that Ferguson’s staff negotiated with state workers unions that contain no across-the-board wage increase or cost-of-living adjustment.

“In my view, if public workers don’t get that, I’m not comfortable giving it to elected officials,” Commissioner Sarah Tucker said.