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CORTLAND -- City council on Monday approved first drafts of ordinances that would give all council members and the mayor their first raises since 2014.
If passed on the third reading, the raises would not go into effect until the next term, which begins Jan. 1, 2024.
Currently, the president of council makes $450 per month, the other council members make $400 per month and the mayor makes $14,400 per year. If the proposed ordinances were to be passed, the president of council would make $550 per month, the other council members would make $500 per month and the mayor would make $16,400.
"None of us do this for the money. I want to make that known," Council President Kevin Piros said. "But, your time is valuable, and I looked at all the obligations that all of us up here take on, and I thought that it was time after 10 years that council be recognized and rewarded for their contribution."
Piros said he placed this on the agenda without discussing it with other members of council because he wanted to make it clear that he wants to reward them for their good work.
Piros pointed out that council members are expected to do much more work than they were 10 years ago. He said he does not see that changing anytime soon. According to data he provided, in 2014, there were 17 committee meetings for members of council to attend. Last year, there were 45. He said these numbers do not include work sessions, regular council meetings or union negotiation meetings.
Piros said each member of council chairs one committee and sits on two others. Piros sits on four total committees. Piros also said that even with the raises, Cortland will still be on the low end of compensation compared to similar nearby communities.
"I think what the public sees of us sometimes is gavel to gavel -- from the time we start the meeting to the time we end -- but that is just a fraction of the time it takes prepping for the meetings, reviewing the agendas in advance, answering emails on an almost daily basis," Piros said.
Going forward, Piros said he would like to see council members take more of an active role in the greater community outside of Cortland. He said this could include going to other entities' meetings and events to get a better idea of what other communities are going through. He said this could help everyone keep dialogue open.
Two council members, Richard McClain and Don Moore, voted against the first reading. Moore said he did not want to raise his own salary because he sees his job on council as a public service. Council member Kathy Fleischer said she also was surprised when she first saw these ordinances on the agenda, but noted that the raises do not keep up with inflation in the past 10 years, so she did not find it to be exorbitant.
"I guess the problem I have as a council member is raising my own pay," Moore said. "Granted, we are doing more activity, but I've always looked at this as a form of community service."
He said he thought the extra money going to the public officials could be better used on city projects.
Council member Jim Bradley said he supports the raise for the sake of future council members. He said he would not want the low pay to deter people from seeking a seat on council in the future.
During their reports, Mayor Deidre Petrosky, fire Chief David Rea, police Chief David Morris, Service Director Kimberly Blasco and Finance Director Patti Gibson all commended the council members for their work and said the raises are well deserved.
Also during the meeting, council passed several resolutions authorizing the clerk of council to advertise public hearings for zone changes. Petrosky said this will change the zoning on West Main Street from High Street to Mosquito Creek Lake to be C-1, central business district. Right now, those parcels are a mix of I-1, industrial district; S-1, service district; and R-M, residential multi-family district,
Piros said this is "long overdue," and it will be the first step to redeveloping and revitalizing the downtown.
"This is the first step," Piros said. "Right now, everyone has different guidelines. We want consistency in our downtown."
The public hearing for these changes will be May 15. Petrosky said the changes will be discussed further at that time.
escott@tribtoday.com