LIMA — An ordinance that would freeze the current salary for the mayor of Lima failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to pass on its first reading at Monday’s Lima City Council meeting, forcing the measure to go to a second reading Nov. 7.
With six votes required to pass on first reading, the ordinance received five, with 2nd Ward Councilman Sam McLean, 3rd Ward Councilman Jesse Lowe II and 4th Ward Councilwoman Rebecca Kreher voting against it. If passed, the ordinance would keep the salary for the mayor at just over $135,000, with no cost-of-living increase for the next four-year term beginning in December 2017. Currently, the mayoral salary is frozen for the first two years of the term.
For proponents of the ordinance, this measure acts as a stopgap so that the issue can be addressed more comprehensively when the city charter comes up for review next year.
“I am hoping at that point that language can be developed to put this in the hands of the voters,” 5th Ward Councilwoman Teresa Adams said. “I feel the freeze is appropriate going forward to allow the discussion to occur in the city charter, where a more permanent, fair solution can be resolved.”
Adams emphasized that this salary increase is not related to Mayor David Berger’s longevity in the office.
“I have stressed at numerous meetings that we are talking about the position and not the person who holds the position,” she said. “We could have had three mayors over this time and we would still be at this amount of $135,000.”
For Kreher, her vote reflected a sense of dissatisfaction on the part of residents who have spoken with her on this issue.
“In the 10 months I have been on council, this is the No. 1 issue that residents have asked me about over and over again,” she said. “I voted ‘no’ tonight because I’ve heard so many ‘noes’ from the residents. This is not a vendetta. I’m not voting ‘no’ because of a person, but because I’ve heard from voters.”
Kreher said that while the median income of the city is $24,000, the total compensation for the mayor, including benefits, is about $213,000, and that number should be more “reasonable.” Keeping it at its current level does not do enough to address this issue, she said.
“A stopgap measure is not what residents are looking for,” she said. “Even if we get a new mayor or keep the current mayor, they want something that’s more palatable for the people of the city.”
With a second reading coming, Kreher encourages residents who want to provide input to contact their council member ahead of the Nov. 7 meeting.
“You can find our contact information on the city website under the city council tab,” she said. “This is an important conversation because it directly affects the residents. This is their tax dollars going to administrators.”
In other business, the Buttonbush Trail project ordinance was passed by a 6-2 vote on its third reading, allowing the mayor to enter into contract for recreation trails to be constructed in the Buttonbush wetland preserve in Central Point Business Park.
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