Town Council Debate Over Mayoral Salary Could be Lively and Bi-Partisan

A real debate - potentially across party lines - at a Town Council meeting?

A completely unpredictable vote?

Pigs flying? Hades freezing over?

Just wait until tonight when a proposal to raise the mayor's salary hits the floor. 

"I do not know if the votes are there to pass this. I assume so, but I do not know how the Democrats will vote. I assume there will be two Democrats voting yes. I do not know how many Republicans will be voting yes," Deputy Mayor Brian Motola, a Republican, said on Monday. "The arguments at the table tomorrow night might persuade us to reject the proposal. It is a wait-and-see in my book."

A Town Council bi-partisan, ad hoc committee charged with analyzing the mayor's compensation is recommending a raise for the position of $9,252. That would bring it to $30,000.

The council on Tuesday is scheduled to discuss it at a meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

The committee met on Jan. 31 with Chairman Michael Winkler, a Democrat, presiding. Committee members also present were Motola, Democrat Virginia Gingras and Republican Bill Campbell. Guests in attendance were Mayor George Apel and Finance Officer and Treasurer James Luddecke.

The committee's report points out that the mayor's salary has been $20,748 since Nov. 2, 1993. Luddecke said that if the mayor had been receiving the same raises as unionized employees over the past 18 years, the level of compensation would be about $30,000, according to the report.

The committee agreed that the position, by Charter, is a part-time position  and that no raise should take effect until November 2013, after the next mayoral election.

The committee then decided to forward a recommendation to the council that the annual mayoral compensation be fixed at $30,000. 

"I have been on the Town Council since 1999 and this issue has arisen every year whether at the table or in a caucus," Motola said. "A question I have is why the raises stopped in 1992."

Motola responded to e-mail questions about which way a potential vote would swing.

Winkler politely declined comment and reserved his right to speak for the first time about the issue during Tuesday's council meeting. 

Motola said the situation regarding special services pay when the mayor worked long hours during the storms of 2011 "brought the issue to a head."

"I have believed for years the Mayor’s position is underpaid. Our Mayor leads an over 100 million dollar a year entity - the town, BOE, debt service and sewer department budgets totaled - and we pay the person poorly. 

"The amount settled upon by the committee seems fair and equitable."

Motola saids the current pay structure reduces the pool of potential Mayors to retired or self-employed people.

"The pay level can cause harm to a self-employed’s business because of the rigors and demands of the job of Mayor," Motola said. "While it is not a huge increase, a higher salary may open up a new pool of potential Mayors for the electorate."

Motola said the mayoral raise proposal has no bearing on the 2012-2013 budget that is currently being proposed and discussed.

"The new salary, if passed, will not increase or decrease the number of paraprofessionals or anything else, in the 2012-2013 budget," he said.

It the the increase is approved - and the council is the only entity that can fix the mayor's salary - it will not go into effect until after the next election in November of 2013, Motola said. 

He said about $5,200 of the increase will take effect 2013-2014 budget.  The full increase will not take effect until the 2014-2015 budget, Motola said.

"The new salary is not to reward the current sitting mayor," Motola said. "It is for future Mayors regardless of party affiliation."