ST. LOUIS — Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore is looking to increase pay rates for much of his staff by 10% or more as he works to rebuild an office hollowed out under his predecessor.
A pay bill given initial approval by the Board of Aldermen’s budget committee Wednesday calls for bumping the pay range for entry-level attorneys to $52,500-$80,300 from $47,700-$73,000, and for larger bumps for some of the more experienced prosecutors. Clerks, paralegals, investigators and secretaries would also see their pay rates climb.
The bill, sponsored by Alderwoman Cara Spencer, of Marine Villa, would also give Gore authority to pay up to 10% more than maximum pay rates for positions that are proven to be “extremely hard to fill.â€
Gov. Mike Parson appointed Gore late last month to replace a resigning Kimberly M. Gardner and fix an office in crisis after years of dysfunction.
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Gore started the job with about a third of the prosecutors Gardner had when she took office in 2017, and a fraction of the experience. And he’s been tasked with getting through cases that have been repeatedly delayed due to understaffing, a backlog built up during the COVID-19 pandemic, and thousands of charges submitted by police that haven’t been reviewed.
He said in a recent interview with the Post-Dispatch that growing staff would be a top priority, along with fostering relationships with the community and regional leaders. And in an interview after Wednesday’s committee hearing, he indicated he wanted his office’s salaries to be more competitive with the St. Louis County’s prosecutor’s office.
“That’s a good comparator for us,†he said.
St. Louis County starts its prosecutors at $61,880, county spokesman Chris King said.
