Case Summaries 
of Importance to Counties

2012 Court Clerks

• Sneyd v. Washington County, 37 TAM 33-19—The clerk and master filed suit after the county commission refused to give her a 10% raise above her base salary for being the clerk of two courts.  The Court of Appeals held that it was within the county commission’s discretion to decide whether to give a clerk a 10% raise above his or her base salary for being the clerk of two courts.  The Court found that the county commission had the authority to give such a raise to the circuit court clerk and not to the clerk and master.  The Court also found that giving a raise to one clerk and not the other did not violate the equal protection clause because the county had a rational basis for doing so—according to the Court, the circuit court clerk had far greater duties and responsibilities than the clerk and master (June 28, 2012).