JAMESTOWN – City lawmakers will wait a few more weeks before they decides whether or not the salaries for both the city council and the mayor will be seeing an increase.
Currently, the salary for the mayor is $72,000 – which is where it’s been since 2008. The base salary for each council member is $5,000 and has not seen an increase since 1984.
At the end of last year, the city’s Salary Review Commission finalized its recommendation for salary adjustments – with a recommendation that the mayor’s salary be increased by $18,000 over a four year period, starting in 2016. The commission also suggested the city council salary be increased by $1000.
During the city council’s work session earlier this week, councilman and finance committee chairman Tony Dolce updated his fellow council members on the status of the recommendations, saying that his committee is still weighing the options.
“On the one hand, we realize that the salary has been pretty much frozen and stayed the same over the past several years – decades actually. On the other hand, as we sit around the table every year and hammer out budgets – and I’m sure this year won’t be any easier than others years, in fact it probably won’t be any different, if not worse – we’re always looking to save $5,000, $10,000… $25,000 here and there,” Dolce said.
Dolce said there are several options to consider, including going with a different salary that what was recommended or not increasing any of the salaries at all. He also said that the city council could increase salaries, but it doesn’t have to start in 2016. The only requirement is that if the current city council wants to act on a salary increase, it has to happen before the start of a new term. If they don’t act this year, an increase could not go into effect until 2018 at the earliest for the council, and 2020, at the earliest for the mayor.
Dolce asked council members to offer their input on the recommendations prior to their next work session on Monday, Aug. 10.
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