1. Beginning January 1, 1998, the license collector of the City of St. Louis shall receive a salary of fifty-eight thousand three hundred dollars per year and beginning January 1, 1999, the license collector of the City of St. Louis shall receive a salary of sixty-four thousand one hundred thirty dollars, payable as provided in section 82.395. Beginning January 1, 2022, the license collector of the City of St. Louis shall receive a salary of one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars per year and such salary may be annually increased by an amount equal to the annual salary adjustment for employees of the City of St. Louis as approved by the board of aldermen of such city.

2. The license collector may appoint one chief deputy, and one assistant deputy license collector, either of whom, in the absence for any cause of the license collector, may perform all the duties of the license collector. The license collector may appoint a cashier, an assistant cashier, a secretary and such other clerks, account clerks and inspectors as are required by the license collector to properly and efficiently perform the duties of the license collector’s office when such positions are approved by the board of aldermen of such city.

3. The salaries and compensation of the employees enumerated in subsection 2 of this section shall be payable as provided in section 82.395.

4. The license collector, deputy license collector and clerks may administer oaths in the transaction of the business of the office. The license collector and the license collector’s sureties are responsible for the official acts of all employees appointed by the license collector.