MARIETTA — County commission chairman Tim Lee said he will decide soon whether to ask the local legislative delegation for pay raises for elected Cobb County officials, including himself.

Some of the elected official’s top assistants, such as the deputy tax commissioner, would also be eligible for the raise.

Lee, who receives an income of $129,877, said he first wanted to hear from commissioners what they thought about receiving a proposed 3 percent raise.

“I have not talked to anyone individually about what their feelings are for the 3 percent,” Lee said Friday.

Lee said he hasn’t heard any opposition to the raises from local residents.

“My sense is that folks are OK with it, and the ones that have chosen to speak to me have said it’s reasonable,” said Lee, who would see his annual salary go up by nearly $4,000 under the proposal.

In November, the board approved an across-the-board, 3 percent pay hike for all county employees in a 4-1 vote with commissioner Bob Ott opposed. It was the first pay raise for county workers since 2008.

Ott said at the time he favored granting employees a one-time Christmas bonus, but he did not want to be locked into paying for annual raises in a shaky economy.

It’s up to the Georgia General Assembly to approve pay raises for elected county officials.

“As it relates to elected officials, I have to budget for it, and it requires legislative action to put it in place,” Lee said.

The chairman said there are two ways he could handle the matter.

“(The Legislature) could raise the salaries, and I would have to go ahead and budget for it, or I tell them to budget for it and ask them to do it,” he said.

Lee said he intends to send out an email to all elected officials in Cobb alerting them that if they want to receive the 3 percent raise, they should notify him or a member of Cobb’s legislative delegation.

“I will be talking to the Board (of Commissioners) in the next week or two as to what they want to do,” Lee said. “Most of the comments I’ve gotten is that the 3 percent is well deserved for every county employee, including elected officials.”

Lee has apparently not spoken to Ott on the matter.

“I don’t believe we should get a raise in these times,” Ott said. “First off, I voted against the raise to start with. I thought for the employees it should have been a bonus, and I stated back then that the bonus did not need to include us. I don’t think we need a raise, and I do not believe people in District 2 would support a raise.”

State Sen. Judson Hill (R-East Cobb), who was elected chairman of the legislative delegation on Thursday, said he hoped to have a decision on raises by the end of the month.

“I will first ask my legislative colleagues their opinions and advice on such important matters like pay raises for elected county officials, and that has not happened yet,” Hill said. “We will seek written input from those individuals for whom pay raises would be considered. We hope to hear by the end of the month their indication of interest.”

Cobb officials eligible for pay raises include the administrative specialist to the tax commissioner, the five associate state court judges, the chief deputy state court clerk, chief deputy superior court clerk, chief deputy sheriff, chief investigator, chief state court judge, chief superior court judge, probate court clerk, state court clerk, superior court clerk, sheriff, deputy tax commissioner, executive assistant to the sheriff, executive secretary to the tax commissioner, the probate court judge, nine superior court judges, solicitor general and tax commissioner.