ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 9, 1996 TAG: 9607090086
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: S.D. HARRINGTON STAFF WRITER
Salem City Council raised its pay Monday night, but didn't push it to the maximum that the General Assembly allows.
Council members will get a raise of about $3,700. Their new salaries - to the penny - will be $10,712.32.
The precise figure was calculated after the city compared council's salaries to raises other city employees have had since 1988, the last time Salem City Council raised its own pay.
"If they had been treated like every other employee, that's where they'd be," said City Manager Randy Smith.
Mayor Sonny Tarpley was the only council member who voted not to raise the salaries.
His annual salary was raised about $4,200 to $12,242.66, and Tarpley said he would donate the extra amount to the Salem Educational Foundation.
"I knew what the salary was when I ran for office," Tarpley said.
The higher salary cap would have allowed the Salem council members to raise their pay to $12,000. The mayor's salary could have been pushed to $13,000.
Salem City Council first discussed raising its pay in June. But members said they were caught by surprise at the proposal and they wanted to compare their salaries with those of other city employees before they voted.
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