Warren County’s circuit clerk was the second-highest paid in the state in 2005, according to the state auditor’s annual report.

Shelly Ashley-Palmertree’s income was second only to Leflore County Circuit Clerk Trey Evans, whose net income was $138,220. Ashley-Palmertree’s was $135,209, the report said.

They were among five of the state’s 82 circuit clerks whose income topped $100,000.

Reached this morning, Ashley-Palmertree attributed her income to supplemental income from the &#8220back-scanning” of old records from circuit, civil and youth court cases.

&#8220I’m one of the few circuit clerks in the state doing that,” Ashley-Palmertree said.

Chancery and circuit clerks’ income varies because it is based on fees paid to their offices for services they provide to people, courts and county governments. After paying for expenses, they can keep what money is left.

Warren County’s chancery clerk, Dot McGee, said this morning her income for the reporting period was $124,575.

The state’s highest chancery clerk income was in Leflore County, where Sam Abraham, who also serves as county administrator and comptroller, took home $208,503. Holmes County Chancery Clerk Dorothy Jean Ford-Smith took home $200,812.

In 2004, lawmakers increased the amounts that chancery and circuit clerks can take home. They added $6,840 to the cap on the clerks’ compensation, setting the upper limit at $90,000 a year. However, clerks can continue to get certain payments exempt from the limit by serving in other roles such as comptroller or administrator.

Mississippi’s chancery clerks perform various duties such as processing lawsuits filed in chancery court, handling wills and acting as administrators for county boards of supervisors.

Circuit clerks’ duties include processing circuit court cases, registering voters, running elections and issuing marriage licenses.

The clerks are normally the highest paid elected officials in their counties. Other county officeholders get salaries set in state law based on population and tax bases.

Among the statewide elected officials, the governor has the highest salary at $122,160 a year.