Friday, March 03, 2000
Council votes itself salary hike
Springdale mayor, clerk also get raises
BY SARA J. BENNETT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SPRINGDALE — Elected officials are giving themselves a raise.
Council members voted 4-3 this week to give themselves, the mayor and the clerk of council-finance director 50 percent raises that will start flowing into their paychecks next month.
Some on council tried to keep the raises from going into effect so soon, saying it was wrong for the people who voted on the pay increases to be the ones who benefit from them.
The Ohio Ethics Commission has said such in-term pay raises are wrong and recommends raises take effect only when elected officials start a new term.
But Springdale's law director, Ken Schneider, told council that a 1998 state appealscourt decision overruled the Ethics Commission. The court said elected officials who vote for pay increases after an election but before they start a new term aren't taking something of value that could influence their decision-making.
And raises are needed now, some argued. Springdale's elected officials haven't had a raise in 14 years, and salaries lag behind those of similar communities nearby. Several council members and Mayor Doyle Webster came armed with e-mails, letters and other communications from residents who support the raises.
“We're not doing this just for ourselves,” Councilman Tom Vanover said. “We're doing this for the position, not just to fill our pockets.”
Under the new arrangement,council members who get $4,500 a year will get $6,750. The president of council's salary will go from $5,100 a year to $7,350. Mr. Webster will make $18,000 a year — up from $12,000. And clerk of council/finance director Ed Knox will get his salary raised from $9,600 a year to $14,400 annually.
When the raise ordinance came up for a vote, Councilmen Steve Galster, Robert Wilson, and Randy Danbury tried to attach amendments preventing the increases from starting immediately.
First, they asked that the pay increases take effect only when elected officials start new terms. Then, they asked for the raises to start in 2003 when all the of the current elected officials would have been re-elected or replaced.
Mr. Galster also tried to get the raises put before voters, but that motion failed for lack of a second.
Mr. Wilson, Mr. Danbury, and Mr. Galster then voted against the pay raises.
To avoid future awkwardness, Mr. Wilson proposed that council find a way to provide automatic pay increases for future elected officials.
Mayor Webster said he planned to introduce legislation providing for a pay increase for elected officials who take office in 2003.
Council also discussed giving raises to members of boards and commissions. That legislation could come up later this year.
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