Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers will see a raise, starting next month.

That’s due to a state law which ties the sheriff’s minimum salary to other elected officials paid by the state, says Chris Monroe, the County Council’s attorney. Monroe said the sheriff is paid 80 percent of what the county prosecutor makes, which is set during the legislative session. Counties can’t pay their sheriffs less than that amount, he said.

Monroe said that county sheriffs have two options for their pay. They can either take a share of tax warrants, commissary and other funds collected by the sheriff’s department, or they can negotiate a contract with the county, which Myers and previous sheriff’s have done.

While the share of the department’s income would be a larger amount, that pay does not contribute to the retirement accounts, Monroe said..

County Council members approved the pay raise last night. The pay increase amounts to a 2 percent pay raise for the sheriff, bringing his annual salary to $115,310 a year. County prosecutors Circuit Court judges will be making $144, 137 after July 1st.