By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The third time was the charm.
The Trussville City Council on Tuesday approved ordinances amending mayor and city council salaries for the next administration. The city council pulled the ordinances from its agendas the last two meetings.
The ordinance will increase the mayor’s yearly salary from $60,000 to $75,600 and each council member’s pay to $750 per month. Each councilman makes $500 per month now, and the council president makes $1,000 per month.
The original plan was to raise the mayor’s salary to $72,000, but council members decided $75,600 was more on par with other cities of Trussville’s size.
All the salary adjustments will take effect for the elected administration that takes office in November 2016. State law requires salary changes to be approved at least six months prior to a municipal election. The next municipal election in Trussville is in August 2016.
The holdup at the June 10 meeting was a recommendation by a council member that the mayor receive all cost of living raises granted to city employees.
The ordinance will also give future mayors the option to participate in the employee health insurance plan under the same conditions and costs as full-time employees. There are currently no provisions for insurance for the mayor. Council positions are part time, and don’t include insurance coverage.
The rate of pay for all council positions beginning in November 2016 will be $750 per month, an increase of $250 for council members and a decrease of $250 for the council president. The reason for the decrease for the council president is a belief that the president’s duties are not significantly different than those of council members.
The mayor’s $60,000 yearly salary was established in 1998 to become effective with the administration that took office in 2000. The council’s $500 per month pay rate was established in 1995 to become effective with the administration that took office in 1996. There was no council president in Trussville in 1996.
When the city received the results of the federal decennial census of 2000 in 2002, state law required a change in the form of government in the administration next succeeding receipt of census results, indicating the city’s population had exceeded 12,000 people. Based on those results, the city knew it would have a council president for the 2004 administration, and the monthly rate for the council president was set at $1,000.
Trussville’s current mayor is Gene Melton, and council members are Buddy Choat (council president), Anthony Montalto, Alan Taylor, Perry Cook and Brian Plant.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.