When the Pleasant Grove City Council begins tackling the city's problems next year, council members will be rewarded just a little more for their effort.
The City Council voted Tuesday night to give the mayor a 10 percent, or $50-a-month, raise, and council members a 33 percent, or $75-a-month, increase. With the raise the mayor will be paid $500 a month and council members will be paid $300 a month.Mayor David Holdaway said the raise is justified by the time and money each council member spends in carrying out the duties of his office. He said by approving the raise now, incoming council members will not be put in the position of voting themselves a raise.
"If we're going to make any changes, now is the time to do it," Holdaway said.
However, Councilman Dale Warburton is the only council member leaving office, and he and Councilman Bill West were not present when the raise was approved.
Councilman Lloyd K. Ash said he thinks every council member spends about 20 hours a week on council business. He said the expense of being on the council should not be a deterrent to people who want to run for office.
"I think (the raise) is necessary so that it's not a burden for people who want to run, and it would be a burden for a lot of people," Ash said.
Kay Driggs, city finance and budget director, presented the council with a salary comparison of mayors and councils from other Utah County cities and said that Pleasant Grove's salary for council members is a little below average. He said it has been three years since the council last received a pay raise.
"This will get them a little more in line with other communities," Driggs said.
Council members also approved a midyear pay adjustment for city employees.
Driggs said, on the average, that the one-time payment amounts to about 2 percent of each city employee's salary. He said this is the third year the city has been in a position to give employees a pay adjustment. The adjustment will be deducted from any cost-of-living increase in employees' salaries when next year's budget is prepared.