The Opelika City Council could make a decision tonight whether the mayor and council members’ pay should increase by as much as 57 percent - marking their first salary increases since 1992.
During its regular meeting at 7 p.m. today, the city council is expected to vote on an ordinance that would:
- increase the mayor’s annual salary from $52,000 to $72,000, a 38 percent increase;
- increase the council president’s annual salary from $8,400 to $13,200, a 57 percent increase;
- increase council members’ annual salary from $7,800 to $12,000, a 54 percent increase.
If approved, the new salaries would become effective Nov. 3, the same day newly elected city council members would take office. All seats on the Opelika City Council, including the mayor, are up for election this year. The nonpartisan election will be held Aug. 26.
The proposal to raise the mayor and council members’ salaries was introduced during the Feb. 5 city council meeting. The city council needs to vote on the pay raises soon in order to meet the state-mandated deadline of March 1 - six months before the next council is elected.
Mayor Gary Fuller said he supports the pay raises, but noted that if they are approved, he will donate the net difference of his annual salary, after taxes, to local nonprofit organizations.
“I’m going to give away every nickel of it,” Fuller said Monday, adding that he receives an additional income not paid by the city.
At one time, the mayor was one of the highest paid city employees in Opelika, Fuller said. If the raise is approved, the mayor would still make less than a number of other city employees, including the police chief, fire chief and the parks and recreation director, according to figures provided by the city.
Increasing the mayor’s pay would provide a competitive salary that would attract top candidates to fill the position in the future, Fuller said.
Opelika councilman Dr. William Lazenby said he is also in favor of the pay raises. “There hasn’t been a raise in 16 years,” he said. If approved, the pay increases would put Opelika higher than Auburn, but it would fall “right in the middle” compared to salaries provided to mayors and council members in other areas of the state, Lazenby said.
Citing a lack of pay raises since 1992 is not enough reason to approve salary increases, said councilman Clarence Harris, who is against the proposed pay hike. “There are a lot of issues that face the city such as employee raises,” said Harris, a council member since 1991. “I think it needs to be discussed and (to) give me a good reason why we need to (increase salaries).”
bharvey@oanow.com | 737-2546
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