CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Top officials in Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead's office have received pay raises in recent years far exceeding the rate the state has allocated for overall employee salary increases.

Documents Mead's office provided to The Associated Press show the governor's chief of staff Kari Gray has seen a nearly 40-percent raise in the last two years, from $126,000 at the start of 2014 up to $175,000 this year. Other top officials in Mead's office also received substantial raises.

Mead says the raises are appropriate given his staff's responsibilities. Mead vetoed an amendment last month to freeze pay.

Funding for overall executive branch employee pay has climbed 2.3 percent a year over the past two fiscal years and there's no funding approved for overall raises for the next two years.

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