WM Council passes trio of ordinances

WM Council passes trio of ordinances

Board approves pay raises, sanitation fee hike, Entergy tower

news@theeveningtimes.com

Three was the magic number for the West Memphis City Council.

A trio of ordinances passed their third and final reading at the final March meeting of the West Memphis City Council on March 17.

An ordinance to increase the salary for the elected positions of City Clerk and City Treasurer passed. The City Clerk and the City Treasurer pay rates were boosted to match the salary of City Councilmen. The measure was sponsored by a pair of councilmen on the City Budget Committee, Chairman Tracy Catt, and Taz Tyrone. The ordinance amended the pay rate moving the salary from $6,000 per year to $9,600 and unanimously approved in a voice vote.

City Treasurer Frank Martin spoke to councilors at the first reading in February. Martin also works for the city as Director of Finance earning $74,000 a year. Martin indicated he declines pay for the elected position but since he has decided not to seek re-election. He expressed hope that a raise to the equivalent of what council makes would attract effective candidates for the office.

“He’s never taken a check for being treasurer,” said Mayor Bill Johnson to City Councilors in the work session.

“I don’t draw the salary for city treasurer,” said Martin to Council. “But, there will be somebody new next time and they’d deserve to make as much as a city councilman.”

The increase also gave the elected city clerk Philip Para a boost.

A rate increase for garbage collection was also set.

Residential garbage rates were set to go up a dollar per month. After considerations were reported repeatedly in the public works commission and again when the ordinance to increase the rate moved to city council, not a single elected official had received a comment from the public.

“While this raises sanitation fees a dollar, we’ve experienced a total of $80,000 in landfill fees a year or so ago that we did not pass along to our residents” said Johnson.

The third ordinance approved sets a 125-foot tall monopole-style communication tower at 401 Glenn Bailey Drive. Entergy owns the tower and will use it for company communications.

The company worked out great detail with the West Memphis planning commission. City Council approved the planners’ recommendation with the passing of the ordinance.

After the three items were put on the books and the old business items on the agenda cleared, a resolution was passed to reassign a city credit card. Unlike the ordinances passed after three hearings, resolutions are voted up or down after just one reading. Ordinances are required to create a new law or amend a code and must be sponsored by two city councilors. On the other hand, when city council affirms a resolution it agrees with city administration on the course to conduct city business.

The city put the credit card into the hands of Kenneth Johnson, the new city purchasing agent following the recent retirement of Renita Rash.

By John Rech