From left, Ward 2 aldermen Mark Kinion and Matthew Petty; Mayor Lioneld Jordan; Ward 3 aldermen Justin Tennant and Bobby Ferrell; and Ward 4 alderwomen Rhonda Adams and Sarah Lewis. (Not pictured: Ward 1 alderwomen Adella Gray and Brenda Boudreaux)
Photo by Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Fayetteville City Council members may soon get a raise for the first time in 14 years.
Three outgoing aldermen – Brenda Boudreaux, Bobby Ferrell and Sarah Lewis – have suggested increasing the pay each council member receives from $700 per month to $1,042 per month. The proposed increase – from $8,400 per year to $12,504 per year – is equal to the average annualized growth rate of the mayor’s salary since 1999.
“Fayetteville council members work very hard and we have a very active citizenry,” said Lewis. “There’s a lot of expectations, and this is really recognizing that.”
Ward 1 Alderwoman Brenda Boudreaux and Ward 3 Alderman Mark Kinion look over potential downtown parking deck locations during a public input session held at the Walton Arts Center one afternoon in April.
Photo by Todd Gill
Boudreaux said residents frequently mistake aldermen for city employees who receive benefits similar to a full-time staff member.
“People have called me and asked if I was in my office,” said Boudreaux. “We don’t get offices.”
Lewis said she’s had countless people think she’s a full-time council member.
“So many times I’ve had to explain that I actually have a career,” she said. “We should be able to do both and balance both.”
Besides preparing for weekly council meetings and agenda-setting sessions, aldermen also serve on at least two of the five official council committees – Street Committee, Water & Sewer Committee, Nominating Committee, Ordinance Review Committee and Equipment Committee. Some aldermen also represent the council on other boards like the Advertising and Promotion Commission, the Environmental Action Committee and the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. Many times, aldermen can be seen at ribbon-cutting events, public meetings and other functions around town.
Don Marr, a former council member who currently serves as the mayor’s chief of staff, said while it’s difficult for aldermen to vote on increases for themselves, it’s important that they be compensated fairly.
Ward 1 Alderwoman Adella Gray speaks while Mayor Lioneld Jordan listens during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Marion Orton Recycling Center on North Street one morning in October.
Photo by Todd Gill
“You don’t want the people who are eligible to be alderman to only be people who can afford to be away from work to do the job,” said Marr. “People who are running their own businesses, who aren’t retired or who have to take vacation time to get away and do things have a compensation impact. Those people should be eligible to run for council just as those who can financially afford to do so.”
A March 2012 city research report shows that despite being the largest city in Washington and Benton counties, Fayetteville trails Springdale and Rogers for the amount aldermen are paid each month for their civic service. According the report, Springdale aldermen receive $850 per month and Rogers aldermen receive $715 per month.
Aldermen will consider the pay raises during the final meeting of the year on Dec. 18. If approved, aldermen pay would be automatically changed annually in a percentage amount equal to the change – if any – in the mayor’s salary.
The Dec. 18 meeting will be the last for Boudreaux, Ferrell and Lewis, who are being replaced by incoming aldermen Sarah Marsh, Martin Schoppmeyer and Alan Long, respectively.
Top paid aldermen in Washington and Benton counties (monthly)
Springdale (pop. 69,797) – $850
Rogers (pop. 55,964) – $715
Fayetteville (pop. 73,580) – $700
Bentonville (pop. 35,301) – $486
Siloam Springs (pop. 15,039) – $440
Bella Vista* (pop. 26,461) – $420
Tontitown (pop. 2,460) – $400
Lowell* (pop. 7,327) – $250
Gentry* (pop. 3,158) – $210
Bethel Heights* (pop. 2,372) – $150
Gravette (pop. 2,325) – $150
Farmington* (pop. 5,974) – $150
* Only one regular council meeting per month (others have two)
Source: Fayetteville staff research report (PDF)
That proposal would bring an alderman’s salary above the poverty level for a single person. Just for perspective. http://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-are-annual-earnings-full-time-minimum-wage-worker
In the article in the Times, Alderman Lewis said that she averages about 20 hours a week in service. Using that figure, even if you divide out the proposed larger salary, our Alderman will only be making $12/hr. We like to nitpick things at the city, but overall they do a great job and deserve better compensation.
I agree. Twenty hours a week is a significant amount of time. Their current pay is not very much, and requires the Aldermen (Alderpeople?) to have a full-time job in addition to their time commitment in order to support themselves or their families. It seems like a significant raise percentage-wise, but it’s also very reasonable considering the scope of their role and how much time they spend within it.
However there are fairly huge perks to being on the City Council–resume enhancement, social and professional connections, prestige. One question to be asked is if they aren’t already doing the best job they can within their time constraints, why would a raise, one which doesn’t make it possible to quit one’s day job, guarantee better performance.
I don’t think anyone has proposed that they are not doing a good job (regardless of political differences), or that a raise will improve their performance. The pay increase is in part to recognize and compensate for a job well done. Im sure it’s a tough job, and 14 years is a long time to go without a raise.
I believe the reason they want to raise the salary is so that people from many different economic backgrounds can still find it possible to run for council and serve the community. This is the entire theory of paying legislators well enough to potentially replace any lost income they might lose by giving up their second job, or cutting back to part time on their full time job. Even those who have good paying full time jobs who don’t ever have to miss a day of work or pay still might be giving up career expanding opportunities by serving on City Council.
They volunteer to do this. Being on City Council is not a full time job. I really don’t think thy should be paid anything.
No, they are paid $700.00 per month.
I agree with Person, it should be a volunteer position. You get, as Resident said, many perks for being part of the council.
No member of the government should be paid. Sorry but they shouldn’t be. It should act like a not-for-profit company.
Most legislators are paid so that the “perk” is them being in office and working for the people instead of the “perk” being bribes for votes or concurrent employment in industries that are highly regulated or contracted by city government. Not paying legislators is inviting corruption.
RE “I agree with Person, it should be a volunteer position.”
The pool of potential candidates who can afford to volunteer for such a position is much smaller than the pool of potential candidates for a paid position, limiting the potential choice for voters and eliminating perfectly suitable candidates. Matthew Petty, for example, has been a fine alderman, but he might not have been able to seek the office it it were unpaid. (Perhaps Mr. Petty will provide his thoughts here.)
RE “No member of the government should be paid.”
That assertion does not stand on its own. If it is to be believed, you will have to support it with evidence. Before you frame your argument, however, you’ll need to decide where to draw the line between paid and unpaid government employees. Supposing an alderperson is a “member” of government, is the city attorney also a “member” of government? The director of the Parks and Recreation department? The Chief of Police?
RE “Sorry but they shouldn’t be.”
No need to apologize. Just offer an argument.
RE “It should act like a not-for-profit company.”
I know of no good reason to believe that a government should be run like any kind of company. Playing along, however– most not-for-profit companies of any size pay their executives and administrators.
You apparently don’t know how a non-profit organization.
…works.
Justin-Your first comment seemed idiotic, then I read your second comment and realized you have no idea what you are talking about. Please tell us how you think a non-profit works. Oh, and please don’t vote.
I know state legislators get a stipend for travel and their hotel rooms, but they do not have a salary. Also if they don’t go down to Little Rock, they don’t get it.
Person:
You are mistaken about Arkansas legislators not receiving a salary. You are completely mistaken.
Arkansas
$15,869/year (SALARY)
$136/day (V) plus mileage tied to federal rate.
http://www.empirecenter.org/html/legislative_salaries.cfm
If the mayor’s salary increased by 30% from 2001 – 2008 then I think it’s more than fair to give the alderman and alderwomen raises.
They are fantastic at their jobs!
I agree that the salary of City Council members should be raised, and the proposed increase is fair — although somewhat less than what has accrued to other elected city officials.
The City Attorney’s salary has increased from $65,000 in 2001 to $103,860 in 2009, an increase of 59.8% in 8 years.
The City Clerk’s salary increased from $27,387 in 2000 to $62,764 in 2009, an increase of 129.2% in 9 years.
The former Mayor’s salary increased from $74,041 in 2001 to $107,038 in 2007, an increase of 44.6% in 6 years.
The current salary for Aldermen was established in 1999 at $700 per month ($8,400) and has not been increased since that time.
Currently, Fort Smith Aldermen are paid $1,000 per month ($12,000). Our Council members are better.
You forgot one: The cost of the Wastewater System Improvement Project (WSIP) increased from $115 million to $175 million.
How much has employees’ salary increased in that time. They have had pay frozen for several years to get through the hard times.
The council approved a budget which includes average 2 percent raises for city employees earlier this month. I believe the plan is to approve another 2 percent increase this spring.
I think the raise is entirely reasonable.
Sounds like a fair raise but it always seems wonky when people vote themselves raises. Is there any oversight?
Great question! I haven’t read the city code to see if it is like Congress where the pay increase is voted in one Congress and goes into place in the following Congress, allowing voters to boot officials if the pay increase is out of line.