Aldermen in cities across Arkansas are in a unique position: If they are going to get a pay raise for the work they were elected to do, they have to give it to themselves.
Unlike most people who work for a living, aldermen don’t have a “boss” who can evaluate their performance, call them into the off ce and couch the raise in praise for exceptional work, commitment and creativity. If that were the case, some would get healthy raises while others’ pay would remain fl at.
Their boss is the public that elected them, but when was the last time you saw electors initiate a pay raise for elected off cials? It just doesn’t work that way.
So these elected leaders must evaluate forthemselves when the not-insignifi cant money they’re paid needs to become even more signifi cant.
There’s almost no way to give yourself a raise without someone raisingan eyebrow. always looks so self-serving, because it, by definition, is. That’s not the fault of individual aldermen. That’s just the way this system operates.
Fayetteville aldermen are the ones who most recently rewarded themselves with a pay raise, and they did so quite handsomely.
As is often the case, these kinds of changes happen at the end of one “term,” if that’s the right word, just before some veterans depart and new aldermen are about to come aboard. Fayetteville’s was no difterent. The three departing members - Ward 4’s Sarah Lewis, Ward 3’s Bobby Ferrell and Ward 1’s Brenda Boudreaux - brought forth the proposal for an early Christmas gift for the new and continuing aldermen.
Starting in January, aldermen will get $12,504 a year for their elective service to the community.
Previously, the pay was $8,400.
The nearly 50 percent increase, unanimously approved, makes Fayetteville’s City Council the highest paid in the two-county area.
In many cases, such a massive raise would merit criticism. Politicians who give themselves a greater benefit are an easy target, simply because they must set their own compensation. We cannot argue, however, that the $1,042 per month the new council will receive is exorbitant.
Mayor Lioneld Jordan called the raise “long overdue,” and we agree. That’s where our bit of criticism - or perhaps it’s just advice - comes in.
From a public perception perspective, giving yourself a raise that’s a nearly 50 percent increase just sounds awful when the people the city council serves are lucky in many cases to get any raise.
Fayetteville aldermen had not granted themselves raises since 1999.
We recommend aldermen adjust their compensation a little more regularly, in smaller amounts, of course, so that the change isn’t such a shocking number.
It is important that the burden of civic leadership comes with fair compensation. In Fayetteville in particular, becoming an alderman means a major commitment of one’s time. Lewis estimated the role required about 20 hours per week in her schedule, and for many, that’s in addition to a full-time job.
We always want people to run for any city council because they love their communities and want to serve them. But time is money, and the heavy lifting of municipal government requires good people to serve in policy positions. The compensation should never make it look like a full-time job, but it should provide some benefit for the demands of public leadership.
Being an alderman, at least if it’s done right, is hard work. In this case, the change was too much at once, but ultimately the right decision.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/26/2012