Adams County Supervisors — three of them at least — made a huge mistake this week in giving themselves completely unmerited pay raises.

In doing so supervisors pushed their way to the head of the public trough, taking a giant slurp of taxpayer money.

Supervisors approved the $4,300 per year pay raise for themselves, the county’s two justice court judges, the county prosecutor and the county attorney.

The county reached a slightly higher mark in total assets that allowed — but did not require — the raises.

The impact of the salary increases is between $40,000 and $45,000 on an annual basis, when retirement contributions are included.

Supervisors who voted for the raises, Calvin Butler, Ricky Gray and Angela Hutchins, all ran for the office less than a year ago with the full knowledge of what the positions earned then. Now, nine months into their terms, they suddenly feel they have earned a raise.

Whether the office of supervisor is a full-time position or not is debatable. At least three supervisors hold down other, full-time jobs.

The three who voted for the raises will need to answer to their constituents when the next election comes. By then, they must hope, voters will have forgotten about the $160,000-plus in unnecessary spending they just gave themselves and their friends over the next four years.

Hutchins defended the vote saying, “The supervisors deserve this raise.”

Really? Please explain publicly to county taxpayers what you have done to earn a 10.6-percent pay raise.

Gray suggested the raise had a divine source.

“If God wants to give me a promotion, I don’t care who don’t like it.”

While clearly we acknowledge God’s hands touch everything in the world, we also believe deeply that He gives us free will to make choices about how we live and that all of us are to discern wolves wearing sheep’s clothing by the fruits they bear.

The pay raise vote smells of rotting fruit.

We urge supervisors to do what is right by county taxpayers and rescind the vote.