Beech Tree News Network

UPDATE: Ordinance setting the Mayor of Morgantown Compensation

Be it ordained by the City of Morgantown City Council that: An ordinance setting the compensation of the mayor for Morgantown, Kentucky be and is hereby adopted as follows: The City of Morgantown has historically paid the Mayor to serve the City of Morgantown.  Currently the City Mayor is paid $41,813.20 annually.  The City Council desires to amend the salary for the mayor position to $36,000 annually, pursuant to KRS 83A.070, and effective beginning with the next Mayor election in the year 2014 or thereafter.  No adjustment for increases in the Consumer Price Index shall be allowed.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This ordinance shall take effect upon the second reading and subsequent publication as required by KRS 83A.060 This 24^th day of April , 2014.

Ordinance setting Council Member Compensation

Be it ordained by the City of Morgantown City Council that: An ordinance setting the compensation of Council Members be and is hereby adopted as follows: The City of Morgantown has historically paid the Council to serve the City of Morgantown.  Currently the City Council is paid $548.32 monthly.  The City Council desires to amend the salary for its members, pursuant to KRS 83A.070, and effective beginning with the next  council election in the year 2014. Council members shall be compensated in the monthly sum of $416.67 effective upon the election in the year of 2014 or thereafter.   No adjustment for increases in the Consumer Price Index shall be allowed.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This ordinance shall take effect upon the second reading and subsequent publication as required by KRS 83A.060 This 24^th day of April , 2014.

 UPDATE:Years of contention over elected city officials’ salaries ended quickly and quietly on Thursday as the Morgantown City Council voted to cut the pay of the Mayor and Council members.  In less than ten minutes, the Council approved the 2nd reading of ordinances that reduced the Mayor’s salary to $36,000 per year and Council members to $416.67 per month.

 
The Council approved each ordinance by identical 4-2 votes, with Dionne Merritt, Russell Givens, Terrell House, and Allen Meredith voting in favor and Sharon Johnson and Gary Southerland voting against.
 
Once the ordinances are published in local media by the May 5 state deadline, the new salary levels become official starting with the next elected Mayor and Council in 2015.

4/22/14: The Morgantown City Council met Tuesday night in a short special session to give the first reading of two new ordinances cutting the salaries of the mayor and the Council.  Councilman Gary Southerland was absent.  The Council approved both first readings in identical 4-1 roll call votes; Council member Sharon Johnson was the lone vote against both salary reductions.
 
The proposed ordinances reduce the mayor’s salary to $36,000 per year starting January 1, 2015.  Mayor Linda Keown stated that no cost of living increase tied to the consumer price index (CPI) would be permitted under the ordinance.  Council members’ pay would be reduced to $416.67 per month starting with the next elected City Council.
 
Following the meeting, the Council went into a work session on a proposed police policy manual.  No action was taken.
 
The Council will meet in another special session Thursday, April 24 for the second reading of the ordinances.  Approval at that meeting and local media publication of the new salaries will finalize the salary cuts.