LOWELL — Taxpayers in Lowell will soon get city government for less money.
Lowell aldermen voted down a pay increase proposed by the mayor, but left an ordinance with proposed changes to the city clerk’s position on first reading during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Mayor Perry Long had proposed dropping council meetings from two per month to one per month and pay council members $300 per meeting.
The council agreed to go to one meeting per month — on the third Tuesday of each month — but did not approve the pay increase.
“I’m not for the pay raise,” said Alderman Keith Williams. “I think $250 is plenty for one night a month now that our meetings don’t last so long.”
Williams said the council had moved to two meetings per month because the meetings had started lasting until 11 p.m.
“That wasn’t fair to the public waiting for business,” Williams said.
Williams explained the council is making $125 per meeting twice a month.
He made a motion to leave the cost at $250 per month for one meeting and the other members unanimously agreed.
City Attorney Tom Kieklak told the council that, ordinarily, the salary of an elected official cannot decrease during their terms.
“Unless everyone agrees,” Kieklak said. “Everyone agreed on this one.”
There was no emergency clause, meaning the ordinance takes effect in 30 days.
The council wrestled with the mayor’s proposal on limiting the power and pay of the city clerk for approximately one hour before leaving the ordinance on its first reading.
Ordinances have to be read three times in public before they can be voted upon.
Councils can suspend the rules and conduct all three readings at one meeting or string the readings out to give the public a chance to respond.
The mayor proposed allowing city staff to handle a majority of the duties of the city clerk, saying the clerk is only in the office less than two hours per day.
The ordinance came with a corresponding cut in pay from $11,500 per year to $250 for each council meeting, $100 for each Planning Commission meeting and $50 for each board of adjustment meeting.
Hired members of the city staff would fulfill other duties outside of the clerk’s transcribing notes from the meeting, according to Long’s ordinance.
“This is about the position as it’s related to the city,” Long said. “It’s not about any individual. Our main interest is keeping the flow of work in city hall as smooth as possible. This ordinance is about the flow of work.”
City Clerk Janette Lasater disagreed, saying the mayor had “embarrassed, humiliated and undercut her” at every chance.
“A few months ago, the mayor said someone had told him they heard me bad-mouthing him and the city,” Lasater said. “He wouldn’t tell me who said what or what it was I was supposed to have said.”
Lasater said city clerks are elected and have certain duties assigned by state statutes.
Kieklak said while there are some duties a city clerk must perform by law, many of the duties may be delegated to professional staff members.