mayor will see pay raise

By BETH LAKEY

Staff Writer

Feb. 25, 2000 10 PM

Those who will lead the City of Troy the next four years will be making more money than the current administration.

Monday night, the Troy City Council unanimously approved increasing the salary of council members by $3,600 and raising the mayor’s annual salary $8,000.

"I hate it, but we have to do it," council president John Witherington said.

Mayor Jimmy Lunsford said it is this council’s duty to set the salaries for the next administration. Changes must be passed six months prior to the election, which is in August.

After conducting comparison studies of surrounding municipalities, Lunsford found salaries to be more than the current council wanted to approve. Then, he figured a 2.5 percent cost of living raise for each year since the council last approved a raise, which was 1985.

Currently, the mayor’s annual salary is $40,000 and council members make $6,000 per year. Those salaries have remained the same ­ other than the 2 percent raises made across the board ­ since 1985.

Council members who take office in October will make $9,600 per year and the mayor’s annual salary will increase to $48,000.

"I think our city council has been under compensated for years," Lunsford said.

He said he thought the council was "setting the salary too low" for those who will serve 2000 to 2004.

"A lot of people don’t know the job council members do is different from other communities," the mayor said.

According to Lunsford, council members and mayors in Ozark, Enterprise and Eufaula make about the same as those in Troy, but do not oversee utilities like the Troy council does. He also said Prattville has a similar budget and council members there make $1,500 each month.

In other business, the council:

· Heard a report from James Flowers regarding a leak in the water tank at the industrial park.

The tank sprung a leak Friday and will cost the city approximately $2,000 to make "minor repairs" to it so it will be in use by the summer months, Flowers said.

He also reported a problem with the well at the industrial park. That well is only about a year old.

· Presented a resolution to Chase Riddle, who will be inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Saturday night.

Riddle, who has lived in Troy the past 50 years, coached the Troy State University baseball team 12 years, earning a 435-149-2 record.

· Approved the city hosting a Soap Box Derby on June 17.

The Parks and Recreation Department has agreed to pay the $1,000 licensing fee, but sponsors for individual cars are needed. Derby organizer nancy Brooks said a car kit costs $350.