Raise would bring alderman to parity with others
By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
Several aldermanic positions will receive a bit of a pay raise after the 2017 spring election, closing a pay gap between those three positions and the others on the council after councilmen voted in favor of the raise Dec. 7.
According to a memo from City Administrator Sam Tapson including in the Financial and Judicial Committee packet from Nov. 23 aldermen in districts 1, 2 and 5 are compensated at an annual rate of $5,340 while aldermen in districts 3, 4 and 6 receive an annual compensation of $5,380, a $40 difference.
Tapson said in his memo while the pay can be increased to correct the disparity, it cannot go in effect until 2017 as the effected group of alderman are seated and their compensation cannot be altered while they are in office.
Additionally, Tapson noted the disparity is due to a pay increase passed by the council in 2013.
The committee approved a motion to bring the compensation increase to the full council during that meeting.
Alderman Scott McClory said Monday night it’s somewhat of an on-going issue as all six alderman cannot receive a compensation raise at the same time and the ordinance change would bring all alderman to parity.
Later in Monday’s meeting, the council voted in favor of waiving the first reading of the ordinance and then voted unanimously in favor of a motion to approve the ordinance.
