Being mayor of Vine Grove could become a better-paying job starting next year.
Vine Grove City Council heard first reading of an ordinance Wednesday night that would increase the mayor’s annual salary by more than 40% to $40,000 beginning in January 2023.
Mayor Pam Ogden said her current annual salary is $27,877.42. A salary increase was first discussed in August before the council during a working session.
Councilwoman Kathy Sisco, who later sponsored the ordinance, broached the subject at a special meeting on Wednesday, saying she felt the position of mayor was underpaid based on the salaries of mayors of neighboring towns in comparable size.
She suggested that the increased pay for the position would attract other qualified people and encourage them to devote more time to their duties.
Sisco said the mayor’s salary has not been raised since 2007.
She suggested raising the mayor’s salary by $10,000 or rounding it up to $40,000.
Ogden, who will run unopposed in November, said the position is very demanding and she is essentially on call all the time.
“Even though I’m not here, I’m still working,” she says.
City Attorney Mike Pike also expressed strong views on a pay raise.
“The fact that this city last considered raising the mayor’s salary in 2007, in my opinion, is shameful,” he said.
Pike said it’s important to attract qualified candidates with good character, reminding the board that the job isn’t always easy.
“It’s hard to be mayor,” he said. “It’s not just cakes, ice cream and cut ribbons; it’s not. If that were the case, everyone would want to be mayor, and especially in a small town.
He said the council has until May 2 to enact the ordinance, which must have two readings.
Seth Dukes can be reached at 270-505-1413 or [email protected]
