ROGERS — The salary of the mayor and the aldermen will remain the same, but the city attorney and city clerk will be getting a raise in January.
Aldermen meeting as a committee of the whole Monday recommended the city attorney’s salary be raised to $105,000, Jan. 1 and the city clerk’s salary be raised to $61,500.
The salary of the mayor will remain at $115,003 and aldermen will continue to receive an annual salary of $8,400.
Salaries for elected officials are reviewed every two years.
“Several years ago we separated the salaries of elected officials from the rank and file employees and we said we would review elected officials salaries on even years,” said Steve Womack, Rogers mayor.
Salaries are a business decision, Womack said. “I honestly believe we need to have competitive pay to attract the best people to serve the voters of the city.”
Aldermen compared city attorney salaries from other cities in the area and determined the position called for an increase in pay.
Alderman Larry Daniel suggested the city attorney salary should be increased from $92,562 to $105,000.
It was difficult to compare city attorney salaries on an apples-to-apples basis. Bentonville has a staff attorney who does what the Rogers’ elected city attorney does, but the city also has an elected city attorney to represent the council.
Fayetteville has several attorneys and Springdale has four attorneys in the city attorney’s office. In Rogers, there is the elected city attorney and a deputy city attorney.
Aldermen recommended, after looking at salaries in other cities, the city clerk’s position be raised 5 percent from $57,782 to $61,500, effective Jan. 1.
The salary recommendation were made so Jerry Hudlow, city treasurer, would have the correct figures to put into the 2011 budget. The recommendations don’t become official until the council approves the 2011 budget in December. The figures could be changed during the budgeting process depending on anticipated revenue and expenditures, Hudlow said.
Aldermen also recommended Marge Wolf be appointed to filled the vacant Ward 2, Position 2 seat on the council. Barney Hayes resigned from the council earlier this month to accept the position of park director on Aug. 1. Wolf plans to run for a full term on the council during the November general election.
Wolf is Justice of the Peace on the Benton County Quorum Court. She said Monday she has talked to County Judge Dave Bisbee and plans to submit her letter of resignation from the Quorum Court today.
Wolf said Rogers had been very good to her and that many people had served as mentors to her over the years and it was time she gave something back to the city.
“There’s not an old Rogers and a new Rogers, there is just Rogers. We have to realize everything needs to be here, we need downtown and we need Pinnacle. The most important thing is to make sure the people are being served,” Wolf said.
She is scheduled to be sworn in today as alderman prior to the city council meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.