Lawmakers have approved 5-figure pay hikes to several state agency heads.

In comparison, South Carolina’s per-capita income is $45,438 – lower than all but one of the raises approved for agency heads.

They also passed a new law to empower the Agency Head Salary Commission to recommend raises next fiscal year for such elected officials as Attorney General Alan Wilson and Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom.

Lexington County residents Wilson, Eckstrom, Treasurer Curtis Loftis and 3 other statewide elected positions earn $92,007 and Adjutant General Van McCarty makes $168,059. The commission has no

The commission has no members of the Lexington County delegation.

Among those given raises is Department of Transportation secretary Christy Hall, given an 18.6% raise of $46,768 to $298,000.

Hall’s pay hike was on top of a $60,288 raise, or nearly 32%, she got in February 2020.

Hall’s agency has set a slow pace in repairing the state’s bad roads and bridges. Yet her department has received millions of dollars from the 12-cent-per-gallon hike in the gas taxes and increases in other vehicle taxes.

Office of Regulatory Staff executive director Nanette Edwards was givem a 48.3% raise of $86,381 to $265,000.

Edwards’ raise comes with new responsibilities involving taxpayer-owned Santee Cooper and the coordination of statewide broadband expansion.

Others include:

• Department of Administration executive director Marcia Adams gets a 27% raise of $60,637 to $284,679.

• Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling a 25% raise of $50,143 to $250,000.

• New Commerce secretary Harry Lightsey will be paid $252,000. His predecessor Bobby Hitt was paid $199,857.

Of the 23,328 state workers with annual salaries of $50,000 or more, 455 were making at least $200,000.

This doesn’t include salaries for 17 state agencies including the House and Senate chambers, and stateowned utility Santee Cooper.

Santee Cooper CEO Mark Bonsall’s salary is $1.1 million plus other benefits such as a maximum $250,000 performance bonus.

Clemson University president James Clements’ total compensation last year was $965,677, including $607,381 from the university foundation.

Gov. Henry McMaster earns $106,078.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve (www.thenerve. org). Contact him at 803-254-S4411 or rick@thenerve.org