County governing body may authorize additional compensation, when

473.741. County governing body may authorize additional compensation, when — maximum allowed — additional compensation to terminate, when (certain first class counties). — 1. In addition to the compensation otherwise authorized by law for public administrators in first class counties not having a charter form of government and containing a portion of a city having a population of four hundred thousand or more inhabitants, the governing body of each of such counties may authorize additional compensation for the public administrator to be paid from county funds. Total compensation for each such public administrator, including any compensation authorized under this section, shall not exceed thirty-four thousand dollars per annum.

2. Prior to February 1, 1984, and thereafter prior to February first in each year in which a general election will be held at which public administrators will be elected, the governing body of each county defined in subsection 1 of this section shall establish the additional compensation to be paid the public administrator under this section for the ensuing term of office, and such additional compensation shall be paid the public administrator throughout such ensuing term of office.

3. All provisions of this section which authorize the granting of additional compensation for public administrators in the counties defined in subsection 1 of this section shall terminate upon the issuance of an opinion by the Missouri supreme court which would result in the state of Missouri being obligated or required to pay any such additional compensation even though such additional compensation is formally approved or authorized by the governing body of a county.