ROGERS -- Some elected officials can expect more pay next year.
The City Council on Tuesday approved raises for City Council members, the mayor and the city attorney along with the 2020 budget. The vote was unanimous with council member Marge Wolf absent from the meeting.
Mayor Greg Hines' salary will increase about 2%, which is the same rate most nonelected city staff salaries will increase. The budget includes a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for all staff salaries and room for department heads to give employees additional raises of up to 1% based on merit.
Hines' salary will go from $5,671 every two weeks to $5,784 every two weeks, according to an email from Jennifer Slingsby, financial administrator for the city.
The mayor will make $156,168 in 2020 up from $147,446 in 2019. Casey Wilhelm, finance director, said 2020 includes 27 paydays instead of the usual 26 paydays.
The city attorney's salary will increase by about 7%. Andrew Hatfield, city attorney, will receive $1,300 a month, an increase from $1,208 per month, according to lingsby. City attorney is a part-time position.
City Council members' salaries will increase from $950 per month to $1,050 per month, a roughly 10% raise.
Planning commissioners will continue to make $500 per month. Council members are paid regardless of meeting attendance, but planning commissioners are only paid for meetings they attend, Wilhelm said.
The Planning Commission and City Council each have two regularly scheduled meetings per month.
The 2020 budget passed Tuesday projects about $50.85 million in expenses and $50.89 million in revenue in the city's general fund, leaving a surplus of about $32,700.
The city projects it will have about $65.7 million in revenue and $65.6 million in expenses, leaving a surplus of about $90,300.
The budget contains 13 new staff positions, including five police officers whose salaries, uniforms and equipment will cost $291,000. Police Chief Hayes Minor said the city needed additional officers because officers are spending more time at schools because of Gov. Asa Hutchinson's Arkansas School Safety Commission's recommendations.
Other new staff positions include a civilian fire inspector for about $42,000; four firefighters for $188,000; two maintenance equipment operators for the Parks and Recreation Department for at least $61,000; and a sports park foreman for Veterans Park for at least $42,000.
NW News on 12/12/2019