Published: June 17, 2009 10:15 am      

City Council, mayor on track to get pay raises

CLINTON — A panel of Clinton City Council members Tuesday approved a measure that would triple the mayor’s salary and double city council members salaries.

The pay raise, which needs approval from the Committee of the Whole and the city council, would raise the mayor’s salary from $7,000 per year to $22,500 per year and council members would garner $7,500 per year instead of $3,000. The proposed increases would add $47,000 to the city’s budget.

The raises would not go into effect until after the next election. City council and the mayoral salaries have not been boosted in 19 years.

“It’s certainly not a job you run for because of money but you certainly want to break even,” said Clinton Mayor Rodger Holm, who would not see an increase until 2012.

The proposal, which would also include better reimbursements for mileage, was brought to the Internal Operations Committee by a citizens advocacy group that analyzed what Clinton officials were making compared to officials in nearby towns. The group looked at Dubuque, Bettendorf, Davenport, Moline, Rock Island, East Moline and Cedar Rapids.

The group found that Clinton officials’, who work part time, salaries were the lowest among other cities they looked at. If the salary raises were approved, the mayor’s salary would rank third behind Davenport and Cedar Rapids and council members would be fourth behind Davenport, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque.

Second Ward Councilman Michael Kearney, who is up for re-election in 2012, was the lone “no” vote on the three-member panel.

“I think we’re sending out the wrong message to people in the community,” Kearney said.

Third Ward Councilman Darrell Smith and at-large councilman Mark Vulich both supported the measure.

A council member who works 20 hours per week now makes $2.88 per hour and the mayor would earn $3.35 per hour in a 40-hour week. Holm, who is a former insurance and investment advisor, said he usually works 40 hours per week.

The same group approached council members two years ago about pay raises but the council voted to reject the proposal.