Pay raises, sewer separation on council agenda

Published 11:03 am Thursday, August 14, 2014

Two ordinances — one in regard to salary increases and one for sewer separation — are on the agenda for tonight’s regular meeting of Ironton City Council.

Ordinance 14-30 setting the salary of the vice mayor and members of city council will have its second reading and calls for an increase in the vice mayor’s monthly pay from $150 to $600 and council members’ pay from $120 to $500.

The pay raise was first brought up by vice mayor Kevin Waldo at the July 10 council meeting at which he said he was opposed to ordinance 08-25 from April 24, 2008, which set the current salaries for the vice mayor and members of council.

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“The reason I am asking this gets done, again it doesn’t affect anyone who is sitting here, but would go into effect for the next term of elected city council members. I think we need to come up with something that’s going to incentivize somebody to run for city council. I don’t think the current salary of $120 is an incentive.”

Council member Bob Cleary said he was also opposed to the salary decrease set forth by ordinance 08-35 and he feels council members put a lot of “time, effort and hours” into their positions and noted none of the current council members would benefit from a raise.

“I agree it needs to be raised,” Cleary said. “None of us sitting here today will see any of it. It’s terrible what we get now.”

Ordinance 14-27 authorizing and directing the mayor to execute an agreement with E.L. Robinson Engineering Company Inc. regarding the construction, administration and inspection of Ironton North Fifth and Elm streets sewer separation phase II project will have its third reading.

Ironton Mayor Rich Blankenship said he is also prepared to update council about the ongoing effort to create a quiet zone at the McPherson Street railroad crossing and he anticipates a decision will be made about the former Fuzzy Duck property.