HomeMy WebLinkAbout1975 07-22 Maplewood council salaries hiked REVIEW laplew - 7l salaries hiked
by Scott Carlson tJ`�`y :),,g. , 1 A 1 s
After about a month of postponment the The salary increases means that the "The problem with a per meeting
Maplewood city council has voted to in- city will have to provide another$4,800 for payment is that it offers an incentive to
crease its salary effective after the council expenses. hold more meetings, but it also en-
Councilman Donald Wiegert, last courages attendance at meetings,"Miller
seating of the council after the next city
elections. Thursday night, felt the increase was said. "An annual or monthly payment,on
The increase, the first one in 15 years, justified because of inflation which has the other hand,overlooks the importance
de-valued the council's remuneration plus of the number of meetings held by a
means that the mayor will earn $3,600
annually with each of the four councilmen the fact that it had been 15 years since the commission or board."
receiving $2,700. Only councilman John council had even discussed a salary in- "My personal experience in city
Greavu,a critic of the city's present form crease. government has resulted in a firm feeling
of government,dissented on the increases "It has always been the first thing on that commission and board members
last Thursday night. our budget but we've always gone on to serve because of a desire to serve the
Currently the mayor earns $2,400 and the second thing," Wiegert said. community and out of interest in the
each of the councilmen receive $1,800. The salary increases, which were subject matter rather than for monetary
proposed by Mayor Robert Bruton,would remuneration," Miller said.
help the councilmen offset expenses they
may incur for taking off time from work,
Councilman Burton Murdock and Nor-
man Anderson had indicated at a previous
meeting.
Anderson supported the increase
although he expressed reservations at an
earlier meeting because none of the city's
commissions receive any remuneration.
The council has directed that the
question of financial remuneration go to
the commissions for comment. "I think
we should refer it to the commissions for `
their consideration and comment,"
Bruton said.
The issue was raised by Anderson at a
meeting in recent weeks.
"I've learned to respect these com-
mission members," Anderson said. He
pointed out that they have to research and
discuss proposals in the same fashion as
the council and some of them attend
council meetings as well as their own
meetings.
Anderson suggested that it might be
wise to reduce the membership of com-
missions so the city could afford to
provide some substantial remuneration.
"The demands that we make on those
people are outrageous," Anderson said.
City Manager Michael Miller, in a
memorandum to the council,stated that if
members of the commissions and board
were paid$5 a meeting that would result
in a total expenditure of between $2,800
and $4,000 annually. A $10 charge would
result in a total expenditure of between
$5,700 and $7,900.