Othello discusses council, mayor salaries

Othello Mayor Tim Wilson

by Herald Staff Writer & Cameron Probert
| March 9, 2012 5:00 AM

OTHELLO - Othello is considering setting up a committee to determine the pay for councilmembers and the mayor.

The city council is considering creating a salary review commission to independently determine what the salaries for the councilmembers and mayor should be.

The mayor presently receives $500 a month and councilmembers receive $250 a month. The pay is not connected to how many meetings the councilmembers or mayor attend, City Administrator Ehman Sheldon said.

Mayor Tim Wilson learned about the commission from Quincy officials, he said. Quincy has a similar commission independently setting what the pay is for the council. The mayor and council's salaries haven't changed since 1996.

The five-person commission would be city residents, according to the proposed ordinance. None of the people could be a city officer, official or employee. Siblings, children and dependent relatives of city officers, officials or employees wouldn't be allowed to be on the commission.

None of the commissioners could serve more than two consecutive terms, according to the proposal.

"(The commission system) seems to be more and more popular with cities," Sheldon said. "For years, many, many years, it was the sitting council could not vote for increases to your salary."

Sheldon and City Attorney Katherine Kenison looked into the system when Wilson offered the idea, Sheldon said.

"There are some conditions. You must adopt exactly the language the commission recommends to you," he said. "You cannot change one word ... If it's an increase, it takes affect immediately. If it's a decrease ... it does not affect the city and councilmembers. It only affects the next new person."

Councilmember Dan Dever asked what triggers the commission to start examining salaries.

Sheldon pointed out the commission has to meet once a year, and has to follow state law to change a salary.

"They can come back and talk about flat rate or $25 a meeting or $50 per meeting ... Those sorts of things," he said. "They'll look at all the things the other cities are doing, and there is a wide variety of how councilmembers are paid and what they're paid for."

The council agreed they would like to discuss the proposal at the March 12 council meeting.