(Posted Feb. 22, 2018)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
New wages are in store for elected and appointed London city officials come Jan. 1, 2020. Also at that time, the city’s mayor and auditor positions will shift from part-time to full-time.
On Feb. 15, city council unanimously approved the following annual salaries:
- mayor, $59,982 for full-time (currently $30,000 for part-time);
- auditor, $59,982 for full-time (currently $45,000 for part-time);
- law director, $93,314 (currently $70,000);
- treasurer, $10,392 (currently $5,000);
- city council member, $6,660 (currently $5,000);
- city council president, $6,660 (currently $6,000);
- city council clerk, $6,660 (currently $6,000);
- Board of Public Utilities member, $6,660 (currently $5,000);
- Civil Service chairperson, $500 (currently $450); and
- Civil Service member, $400 (currently $350).
The new salaries for elected officials will go into effect after the next election. The new salaries for appointed officials will go into effect after the current terms end. These salaries were last increased in 2008.
Former council member Dick Minner proposed the wage increases in October. Some citizens expressed concern about the increases, and some council members wanted to conduct more research. As a result, the legislation was tabled.
In January, the finance committee suggested that the city convene a citizens committee to review the proposal and make recommendations to council. At the Feb. 15 meeting, council member Rex Castle said he was unable to find enough people to serve on the review committee, so the finance committee reviewed the proposal again and made adjustments, including the shifts to full-time status for the mayor and auditor.
“We feel like we need a full-time mayor,” Castle said, noting that current mayor, Patrick Closser, is working full-time hours on a part-time salary.
Castle also stated that research showed that the new wages fall roughly in the middle of what other municipalities similar in size to London pay their elected and appointed officials.
In other business, council adopted a strength ordinance setting the maximum possible number of employees per city department.
Closser reminded council and the public that the Madison County Republican Central Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. March 6 to appoint new Ward 1 and Ward 3 London city council representatives. The meeting will take place at the Madison County Engineer’s Office, 825 U.S. Rte. 42, London.
Anyone interested in the either position should send a letter of interest and a resume to Nick Adkins, central committee chair, at nickadkinslaw@gmail.com, or to Mayor Pat Closser at pjclosser@ci.london.oh.us.
