Raises highest among cities

By Jason Nevel
Herald Staff Writer

June 20, 2009 12:56 am

— CLINTON — If proposed salary increases for city council members and the mayor were approved, Clinton official’s salaries would be the highest among Iowa towns with similar populations.
A review of mayoral and council member salaries in six other Iowa towns by the Clinton Herald found that pay raises suggested by a citizens advocacy group would put the mayor’s salary $7,500 more and council members $100 more than any town in Iowa whose population is within 5,000 people of Clinton’s (26,616).
The pay raise, which needs approval from the Committee of the Whole and the City Council, would triple 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.
Supporters of the raise, which would not kick in for some council members until the November elections, said a salary boost was long overdue because it hadn’t been increased in 19 years and more qualified candidates would run for office if the wages were higher.
“I think it’s time this should be done,” said at-large councilman Ron Mallicoat at the Internal Operations Committee Tuesday.
Clinton Mayor Rodger Holm, who would not be affected until 2012, said the amount of the raise could still change, but the increase was also based on the tradition of the mayor’s salary being three times greater than council members.
“Whatever it ends up is fine with me,” Holm said. “It hasn’t been raised in 19 years and this was a recommendation for discussion from that committee, and I don’t think it was bottom line that’s what it had to be.”
In its analysis, the group looked at towns in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Dubuque (57,313), Bettendorf (32,445), Davenport (98,975), Moline (43,016), Rock Island (38,243), East Moline (21,073) and Cedar Rapids (126,396) were the cities it examined.
The Clinton Herald analyzed Fort Dodge (25,230), Burlington (25,382), Marshalltown (25,815), Mason City (27,505), Muscatine (22,420) and Ottumwa (24,531).
Second Ward Councilman Michael Kearney said he opposed the measure because the timing was bad and the cities looked at weren’t comparable.
“I think it’s a slap in the face of the citizens of Clinton to make a change at this time based on so little evidence as far as comparables are concerned,” he said.
According to the committee, a council member that averages 20 hours per week now makes $2.88 per hour and the mayor would earn $3.35 per hour in a 40-hour week. If approved, the wages would be $10.81 for mayor and $7.21 for council members for the same time worked.
Holm, who is a former insurance and investment advisor, said he usually works 40 hours per week.
“We should have the foresight to look at this every couple of years then we wouldn’t have any type of controversy,” Holm said.
The same group approached council members two years ago about pay raises but the council voted to reject the proposal.
The topic could be discussed at the council’s next scheduled meeting June 30th.