ATLANTA - The judges in Chatham County's probate, state and magistrate courts would get annual pay raises for their years of service in their next term under legislation the House of Representatives passed Friday.

The House unanimously passed House Bill 669 sponsored by Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, and cosponsored by the rest of the local House delegation at the request of the judges and the county commission.

Their salaries are pegged to 80-95 percent of the pay going to superior court judges, depending on the court. An extra amount would go to the chief judge of each court. After serving one term in office, the judges would get an extra $800-950 monthly for longevity, but that would be reduced by the amount of any cost-of-living adjustments granted by the state or local governments.

The pay raises would not take effect until after each has won re-election or a new judge is in place.

"They knew what the current salary was when they ran for the office," said Stephens, chairman of the local legislative delegation.

County Attorney Jon Hart said the main reason the county requested the bill is to avoid misunderstanding about the calculation of judges' pay.

"We requested some legislation to address some issues and provide better clarity in regard to their salary," he said.