HomeMy WebLinkAbout1979 10-24 Council haggles over own raise REVIEW )29/ /77
ouncei haggles
over own raise
The Maplewood city council voted 3-2 to same laws the council's salaries are.
approve the first reading of an ordinance THE CITY council has not received a
for a salary increase for council members salary increase for three years.
from 1980 to 1981 at the Oct. 18 council The first
and wasapproved three ce was
meeting. moved, to two,m
According to Don Lais, city attorney, Mayor John Greavu and Anderson
state law requires that if any salary dissenting.
change is to occur,it must happen before The second and final reading will come
a regular city council election. If council before the city council at their regular
doesn't approve a salary hike before the Nov. 1 council meeting.
Nov. 6 election, it can't act for another
two years.
CURRENTLY,the mayor receives$300
a month and the council members receive
$225. With the proposed increase, they
would receive$325 and$250,respectively.
The ordinance also contains an increase
for 1981, to$350 and$275, respectively.
Council members reactions were varied
to the proposal. Councilman Donald
Wiegert said he wasn't sure how the other
members felt,but that if any member was
looking to have the amount cover their
gas costs for city business for the month,
it probably wouldn't.
Councilman Norm Anderson said he
had strong feelings about this, and didn't
think he could okay his own salary in-
crease without compensating commission
members. Currently, commissioners
don't receive any salary for their efforts.
"I can't possibly vote for any salary
raise without voting for compensation for
people serving the city," Anderson said.
"They give a lot of free time to our city,
without pay."
Lais said he would check statutes
concerning compensating commission
members and even investigate giving
them expense accounts. He said if a
procedure were found,it could be passed
at anytime, and would not be held to the