Prairie Grove considers doubling mayor’s pay
Posted on Tuesday, November 18, 2008
PRAIRIE GROVE — Members of the City Council are considering doubling the compensation for the town’s mayor.
Carol Pair, city clerk/treasurer, has built into the proposed budget, which was presented to aldermen Monday night, an increase of about $6,000 in compensation for Mayor Sonny Hudson — making it $12,000 per year.
The budget will be discussed more at a Dec. 15 session prior to the Dec. 22 regular meeting. Both are set to begin at 7 p.m.
Funds in the budget total about $ 3.6 million, and it is unclear what percentage increase for next year will be considered by the City Council.
Hudson said the proposed budget is “strictly a draft” at this point and can be changed in December.
A committee looking into the matter had talked about increasing Hudson’s salary from its present $6,000 up to $9,000 or $12,000, according to Larry Oelrich, who is the director of administrative services and public works for the city.
Oelrich in recent months performed a survey of small towns in Northwest Arkansas, and it indicated that Prairie Grove’s mayor was the second-to-lowest compensated mayor.
Also worked into the recommended budget is increasing aldermen’s permeeting pay from $30 to $50 per meeting.
In another matter, aldermen approved on second reading an ordinance to regulate private sewer systems within the city.
The resolution is designed to give the city more control over what happens to private sewer systems in its limits, including areas that have come into the city in the past couple of years.
City Attorney Steven Parker plans to further discuss the proposed ordinance with the Arkansas Municipal League.
One of the proposed requirements is for the “responsible management entity” of the private sewer to create a reserve fund for major repairs and improvements. A minimum of 10 percent of the annual gross revenues would be required to be deposited into the fund yearly.
This fund would be used solely for major repairs, equipment replacement or system improvements and may not be used for general operating expenses.
In other business, the City Council approved increasing the health insurance deductible for 32 people covered in the city from $200 to $500. This will keep the city-paid premiums from increasing to $64 per person per month.
Oelrich said there was $72,849 paid in premiums from May 1 to Oct. 31 and $111,793 paid in claims during that period, which was the reason given for the increase.
The council also discussed an ordinance that would require remodelers to be licensed through the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board. Hudson said this issue was something that came to him from the Northwest Arkansas Home Builders Association.
Remodelers are not required to be licensed by the state, but an ordinance would require them to be licensed in the city.
Hudson said it could protect residents having large remodeling jobs performed on their homes. Aldermen talked about the ordinance language requiring licensing for jobs that are at least $20,000.
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