Rather than setting a cap on cost-of-living pay adjustments for elected county officials, the Butler County commissioners should put in place a no-annual-COLA policy.

The elected officials in question knew what their rate of pay would be when they sought their positions — and they obviously were satisfied with it back then. Therefore, it is not unreasonable for them to continue working under that pay rate for the duration of their four-year term.

There is no state law guaranteeing annual pay adjustments. State law merely covers when a new four-year rate of pay or annual COLA amounts can be set.

The 3.5 percent or 4 percent cost-of-living increases county officials have been receiving for a number of years have been more than mere cost-of-living adjustments. They’ve been significantly higher than actual increases in the cost of living.

Meanwhile, the elected officials’ fringe benefits have been — and remain — much more generous than what many workers in the private sector receive.

Rather than continuing the annual cost-of-living increases, the commissioners should establish reasonable pay rates that will remain in place for the duration of elected terms, to be reviewed every four years.

The officials in question are the three county commissioners, two jury commissioners and the clerk of courts, sheriff, controller, coroner, treasurer, prothonotary, register of wills and recorder of deeds.

The terms covering six of those offices will be up for election this year, and the other seven in 2015.

The county commissioners decided it was necessary to raise the real estate tax for 2013. Obviously then, the money isn’t really available to be doling out non-mandatory cost-of-living pay adjustments of any amount.

Commissioners William McCarrier and Dale Pinkerton this year declined to accept the 3.5 percent increases to which they were entitled under prior board of commissioners action. Considering the county’s financial situation and anticipated future spending, the other elected officials should have joined them.

And, the county isn’t guaranteed any financial windfall anytime soon that guarantees that taxes won’t have to be increased.

The county should be trying to save money any way that it can. Ending COLAs is an easy, taxpayer-friendly way of doing that.

If there is an annual COLA cap, that cap should be zero.