CHUBBUCK — A $20,000 pay raise for Mayor Kevin England may have proven hard to justify in a city with a per capita annual income of $18,650.
The City Council voted unanimously to pass an ordinance Wednesday night that would not allow the council to alter annual salaries for the city’s elected officials until January 2017 and requires those salaries be reviewed every two years after that. That means England would not see a pay raise until January 2018 because state law dictates that city councils only can change salaries for elected officials during odd-numbered years and any changes made cannot take effect until the following year.
England, who requested the 44 percent raise to his $45,000 salary last month, did not attend Wednesday’s meeting because he “is on city business in Boise,” City Council President Joshua Ellis, who presided over the meeting in the mayor’s absence, said. Fewer than 20 people, other than the four-member council and two or three other city officials, attended the meeting at City Hall.
But the lack of public attendance at the meeting seemed to be no reflection on what Chubbuck residents thought about the mayor’s proposed pay hike.
“My phone and email hasn’t stopped in the past two days,” said Councilman Brent Marshall, who lost to England in the 2013 mayoral election. “People say they don’t want a raise (for the mayor). And the mayor (has told the local media) he does not want it and does not need it.”
Marshall said he was opposed to raising the mayor’s salary now and Councilman Kermit Morrison voiced his agreement with Marshall.
Councilman Ryan Lewis said he too spoke to many residents who objected to the mayor’s raise, but was not sure if those he spoke with were objecting to the size of the raise or to any raise for the mayor.
“People were surprised the salary is where it is, but what concerned them was the draft ordinance (calling for a) 44 percent raise,” Lewis said.
The ordinance the council passed Wednesday night also ended a city-mandated requirement that a roll call of elected officials be taken at the beginning of every meeting.
(9) comments
Perhaps Blad could see that yellowstone ave was finished instead of cheerleading for England.
It sure don't take long for the greed to show up in politician's anymore [sad] I can't believe Blad was even involved in this anyway. Do they belong to the same ward???????????????
Pocatello better watch their budget or they may be supplementing England's wages. Blad likes to spend the money, doing street repairs for free for a lot of cities in the state and ISU. What makes you think he wouldn't pay for a bump in pay for his pal in another city? And as far as giving him 20 minutes to speak, he should have only been allotted the same 3 minutes he gives Idaho Lorax in Pocatello meetings. Some find them equally annoying.........
Wish the story could have read Mayor England Ousted for Being Greedy. There will be other elections. Hopefully he will not run or get his -----kicked. He had better not kick those paint cans down the road----he might need them. Perhaps his cheerleader Blad would hire him
I could be wrong but I think Kevin was a small local painting contractor. I would be willing to bet he never made more than 45 k a year or even had any health insurance with he now has along with the 45 k he makes now [wink]
Actually only the mayor was going for a raise not the council. They make only a 5 or 6 hundred a month for what they do. The news reported it incorrectly and so did the ISJ. The council never attempted to raise their salary but the Mayor did. He put it on the agenda so the council had to consider it.
Good for the city council! The pay raise was never for them and the Mayor put it on the agenda for himself, then spent time explaining he didn't need it or want it. Why bring it up then? The citizens of Chubbuck should know that Mayor Blad spent about 20 minutes (everyone else only got 3 minutes to voice their opinion on the raise) lecturing the council and citizens on how much they should pay the mayor of Chubbuck. It's not his business and he should stay in Pocatello and advocate for them. What a slam to have him stand up there and take more time than any citizen was allowed to spew his views that Mayor England doesn't get enough money, he works really hard (don't we all) and he deserves more. Then he went on to tell us that when they travel they have to pay for their spouses out of their own money? Wow, that's horrible. Everyone else has to pay for their spouses in the corporate and private world, but not our Mayor's? What a joke argument. Nice to see that calmer heads prevailed. Give him a raise when he's been in office long enough to have proven himself as a good leader and has accomplished something. I'd have not problem giving him one then. He ran on knowing what the pay is so why should he complain when he's not even been in a year!
i think Pocatello's Mayor needs to do his job, these streets are id in need of some serious patching, and i don't know why the street sweepers arn't sweeping gutters. the other day i was driving down 5th St. and the fireman were out cleaning off storm drains, didn't know that was in their job description, Wake up Mayor Blad lets get this city back where it use to be!!!!
Really, i think 45,000 is more than they deserve
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