Smithville Alderman Danny Washer has concerns about Mayor Taft Hendrixson’s proposed changes in the city charter and that’s why Monday night he suggested a workshop to discuss it further before any action is taken.
Washer has a particular concern about the proposal to increase aldermen pay from $25 per meeting to $150 per month and potentially doubling the mayor’s pay from $1,000 to $2,000 per month.
Any change in the city charter requires support of at least two thirds of the aldermen (four out of five) and approval by the state legislature. And the pay raises would not take effect until the next terms of office, meaning that if the pay hikes were put in place this year, only the mayor and two aldermen elected this year would get the raises. The pay of the other three aldermen would not be increased until after the new terms begin following the city election next year.
Still, Alderman Washer, during Monday night’s city council meeting, said he has a problem voting for pay raises because the public perception is that the aldermen are raising their own pay. “I don’t want to do nothing,” said Alderman Washer. “We’re voting on a pay raise and a lot of changes and I don’t want to do that. I personally do not like to vote on myself a raise,” he said.
Mayor Hendrixson responded, “It wouldn’t affect you. It will affect the next people in office. It don’t affect anyone in office right now,” said Mayor Hendrixson.
Alderman Washer answered, “I don’t like that at all. The ones out in the city of Smithville, when they hear this, its looking like we’re voting ourselves a raise. If I was sitting out there where they (public) are at that’s the way I would look at it,” said Washer.
Mayor Hendrixson said, “We are not voting ourselves a raise. You’re talking about $150 a month (for the aldermen). That’s not much money,’ he said.
Mayor Hendrixson then asked, “When do you want to do a workshop?”
Alderman Washer answered, “As soon as we can would be fine.” Washer said he felt the aldermen and citizens needed more time to become better informed on the proposals.
That workshop is set for Monday night, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. at city hall.
If the charter is changed as proposed, each of the aldermen would receive $150 per month in pay, effective with the next term of office. The aldermen currently receive $25 for each meeting, both regular and special. That comes to $50 per month since there are usually two regular meetings per month.
The mayor’s pay, which currently is $1,000 per month, could be raised to as much as $2,000 per month, as set by the aldermen effective July 1st of each year.
Regular city council meetings would be reduced from twice to once per month and special meetings would be scheduled as needed.
The mayor and aldermen’s terms of office would remain staggered but under this plan, their terms would go from two years to four years and city elections, now conducted every year on the third Tuesday in June, would eventually be held every two years on the first Thursday in August to coincide with the county general elections.
Under the proposed changes, the mayor and two aldermen elected this year, June 19 would serve for a period of two years and two months. Those positions (mayor and two aldermen) would be up for election again on the first Thursday in August 2014, in conjunction with the county general election. Whoever is elected in August, 2014 would serve for four years, from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2018.
The other three aldermen positions would be up for election in June 2013 and whoever is elected would serve for a period of three years and two months, until August 31, 2016. Those three aldermen positions would then by up for election again in August, 2020, to coincide with the county general elections.
Alderman Steve White told WJLE Wednesday night that he believes action on city charter revisions should be delayed until next year to give the city council more time to study the existing charter. He said there may be other changes aldermen want to make in the charter other than those being proposed right now.
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