Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens will receive a $25,000 pay raise this year to become the highest-paid sheriff in the state’s four most populous counties.
Lawmakers originally proposed a salary of $220,000. However, the amended bill that received final approval by the Senate Monday brought his salary to $195,000, just edging out the current highest-paid sheriff. Gwinnett Sheriff Keybo Taylor received a $50,000 raise earlier this year which brought his salary to $193,000.
DeKalb’s sheriff makes $153,000 per year, and Fulton’s makes $189,000, as of December 2022, the AJC previously reported.
Owens will also earn slightly more than other top public safety officials in Cobb County: Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer earns $192,000 per year and Interim Public Safety Director Bill Johnson makes $191,000 per year, according to county spokesman Ross Cavitt.
As an elected constitutional officer, Owens’ salary is decided by state lawmakers and funded by the county government. Sen. Michael ‘Doc’ Rhett brought Senate Bill 104 to authorize the pay raise, and it has since received full approval in both chambers.
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