Roanoke City Council members will receive incremental pay increases over three years. This sparked controversy following a 4-2 vote during a Monday meeting, with concerns that the decision was rushed.
Approval of The Incremental Increase for City Officials
During a special meeting last Friday, the city council voted 4-1 to grant themselves $20,000 raises effective July 1, 2025. However, an amended version of the ordinance approved on Monday revised the raise to increase gradually by $10,000 in 2025, followed by $5,000 increments in 2026 and 2027.
A recent state law establishes increased maximum salary levels for mayors and council members, determined by population size. Under the new scale, a mayor's salary would increase from $25,000 to $47,000, while council members' would increase from $23,000 to $43,000, with incremental raises starting in July 2025, reaching their peak by July 2028.
The Council's Oversight of The Timing Requirement
State law mandates that the ordinance be ratified four months before the upcoming election, which is November 5 this year.
Friday's special meeting was convened because the council had overlooked the timing requirement, which had initially been slated for July 15, council member Luke Priddy explained to Cardinal News on Friday evening.
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Controversies Speculating Regarding The Rushed Approval
While supporters argue that pay raises will increase gradually to match inflation over an extended period, critics contend that the vote was rushed and that the public should have had more opportunity to weigh in on the decision.
Stephanie Moon Reynolds and Bev Fitzpatrick were the two members who voted against the proposal. Mayor Sherman Lea, Trish White Boyd, Peter Volosin, and Vivian Sanchez Jones voted to approve the raise, while Vice-Mayor Joe Cobb was absent.
Peter Volosin thinks that compensating council members is just fair enough, given that the city allocated almost $20 million of city funds to ensure equitable pay for every employee.
Meanwhile, Bev Fitzpatrick, who attended his inaugural council meeting as a new member, succeeding former councilman Luke Priddy, believes that a potential 93% increase in compensation, whether implemented over one year or five years, does not align with his understanding of the duties of public servants.
Duane Howard and other community members also expressed frustration over the lack of a public hearing, even though it was not required. Howard believes a small increase might have been appropriate, but doubling their salaries is too much, 10 News reported.
Despite these varying perceptions, the majority of the council who voted would not personally benefit from the decision, Piddy said, who, earlier this year, announced his resignation from the council effective at the end of June. Mayor Sherman Lea and council member Trish White-Boyd also plan to retire at the end of their current terms.
Mayor Lea requested everyone to "please try to understand" that such action is not unique to Roanoke City but is going statewide. Many cities have already approved similar measures, and putting off the decision later would only delay the City's eligibility until 2027, WDBJ reported.
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