A proposed ordinance to amend the city’s charter and limit the mayor’s salary to $45,000 a year won’t take a spot on the city ballot anytime soon.

Friday, August 11, 2000

A proposed ordinance to amend the city’s charter and limit the mayor’s salary to $45,000 a year won’t take a spot on the city ballot anytime soon.

At their regular meeting Thursday, council members voted 4-3 against a proposal to place Ordinance 00-37 in front of voters this fall.

Ironton City Council members Hugh Donald Scott, Bob Vaughn and Bob Lipker voted for the issue saying the people had the right to decide the mayor’s salary.

"This ordinance will permit a ballot issue at the next general election," Vaughn said. "In no way should this ordinance be viewed as a commentary on the performance of past mayors or our present mayor. The people of this city should have the opportunity to speak on the issue. All this ordinance will do is to let the people decide how much the mayor will make."

If the measure would have passed, fixing the mayor’s salary would not have affected current Mayor Bob Cleary, Vaughn added.

The mayor’s salary is currently set, according to the Ironton City Charter, by taking 60 percent of the Ironton Municipal Court judge’s salary. Cleary makes about $57,540 a year, according to that formula.

"The mayor only gets a raise when state legislators vote to give a salary increase to municipal judges," Cleary said. "Next year will be the last raise I will receive and it will only be a 3 percent raise."

Cleary said he does not take Vaughn’s proposal personally, but advised that putting such a limit on the salary might impact the city in the future.

Council Chairman Jim Tordiff agreed the voters should decide the issue.

"In my opinion, the best way to allow the voters to decide on the mayor’s salary is through the petition process," Tordiff said. "Our mayor’s salary is not out of line with other cities our size. If we pass this issue, we’re not going to attract good quality people that this job requires if we show them we’re not willing to pay."

Councilman Jesse Roberts called the ordinance unfair.

"This ordinance doesn’t take into consideration a raise," Roberts said. "Let’s consider living conditions 10 years from now. I don’t feel we would have very many people looking to run for the position if it has a fixed salary. It is unfair to ask the citizens to get quality people to run under those conditions."

In other business:

– Council heard a second reading of Ordinance 00-36, which will detach a portion of U.S. 52 from the city.

– Council voted to table Ordinance 00-39, which provided the city the right to impound animals found running at large. Ordinance 00-40, which provided a detailed description of a nuisance animal, also was tabled.

– Ironton Health Department Superintendent Charles Kouns addressed council to examine the city’s problem with abandoned house and tall grass creating health risks.