Council considers reducing its salaries

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 24, 2008

In an unusual move for a political body, the Ironton City Council will vote on Thursday night to reduce their salaries.

Currently, the vice mayor, who is the head of the City Council gets $250 a month and council members get $150 a month. A new ordinance would reduce the vice mayor’s salary to $200 a month and the members salary to $120. The ordinance said the city “could benefit by the extra monies by reducing said salaries.”

The measure would save the city $4,920 annually.

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However, there is a grandfather clause and the ordinance would not apply to any council member currently serving.

Also on the agenda is an ordinance that would repeal the controversial ordinance 05-03 which makes property owners responsible for the water bill if the tenant skips out on the bill. Council members are searching for a way to collect from tenants who skip on their bill and a new ordinance on that is expected later this year.

People wanting a copy of an accident report from the Ironton Police Department have to pay $5. However, an ordinance establishing the cost is required by the State Auditor.

Another ordinance would award the contract for disposal of the city’s waste from sanitation and wastewater departments. After a sealed bid process, it is being recommended that the disposal of solid waste contract go to Rumpke for one year at a fixed rate of $29.75 a ton and the disposal of biosolids from the waste water plant contract go to Green Valley Landfill in Ashland, Ky., at a fixed rate of $28.79.

There are two resolutions on the agenda. One is to support a 12-screen cinema to be built in the Ironton Hills Plaza by Tim Shively and Associates.

And the other is to urge U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson and U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown and George Voinovich to “take whatever actions are necessary in the United States Congress to preserve and protect the existence and operation of the Delta Queen.”

According to the resolution, the Delta Queen is a national landmark and is the oldest overnight-extended steam riverboat in the United States.

The Ironton City Council meets at 6 p.m. Thursday in the council chambers on the third floor of the Ironton City Center.