Butler County row officers believe a new method for determining their automatic annual pay hike is a change for the better.

Under the policy enacted by the county commissioners today, which takes effect in 2012, the annual salary increase will follow the Consumer Price Index for Pittsburgh.

A CPI is the change in the costs of consumers to buy goods and services.

The automatic pay hike is a cost of living adjustment.

County Controller Jack McMillin, one of the officials affected by the COLA set by the commissioners, said the new method is an improvement.

"This is better than what existed," he said in an interview.

The current county COLA, set in 1984, requires the annual increase fall between 4 percent and 8 percent.

For three years, the COLA for county officials was above 4 percent. The increase was 4.4 percent in 1990, 6 percent in 1991 and 4.1 percent in 1992.

In addition to the commissioners and the controller, the COLA covers the sheriff, treasurer, clerk of courts, prothonotary, register of wills, recorder of deeds and jury commissioners.