After spending some time in closed session during Tuesday night’s meeting, the Danville City Council approved increases in salaries for the mayor, treasurer, and aldermen positions; starting with the 2023 municipal elections. As it turned out, the mayor’s salary will increase less than originally proposed, the treasurer’s pay the same as originally proposed, and the aldermen’s pay more than first proposed.
Following next spring’s elections; the mayor’s pay will increase from $75,000 to $95,000 for the first year of the new term. Then, it will increase the final three years of that term to $100,000, $105,000, and $110,000.
The treasurer’s pay will increase to $50,000 for the first year of the new term; and then for the next three years to $55,000, $60,000, and $65,000.
The alderman’s pay will increase from $225 monthly to $350 monthly; first for those newly elected in 2023, and then for those newly elected in 2025. Although there were some objections to the two year period when aldermen would be earning two different salaries, the motion still passed.
Alderwoman Tricia Teague, who had been assigned to work on the fine-tuning the original proposal with Vice-Mayor Bob Iverson, said she did not agree with everything in the final proposal, such as how much the mayor’s salary will end up increasing.
AUDIO: The think that there was good conversation and deliberation about the outcome. The mayor’s salary I didn’t agree with, because it is higher than comparable salaries of mayors in other comparable cities. So, that’s my reasoning; and the data doesn’t support it.
As for Mayor Rickey Williams, Jr; he feels the mission was accomplished: increasing salaries of elected officials to make the positions more attractive.
AUDIO: A servant, his worth is higher. And whether it be me, Ms. Vinson, or someone else that becomes the next mayor; it’s a very serious position that impacts everyone in Danville and every business in Danville; and it ought to be paid accordingly. Similar position to the treasurer; if the treasurer’s position is not done well it puts the city in a lurch. So, I’m glad to see that the Council supported compensating those appropriately.
Also passed by the Danville City Council was a new agreement with the Policemen’s Benevolent Protective Association, Unit #11.
