Weirton proposes pay increase for mayor and city council

WEIRTON – The next mayor and council in Weirton may get a raise, thanks to a proposal now before the current council.

On Tuesday, Weirton Council members voted unanimously on the first readings of two ordinances setting new salaries for the mayor and city council.

Under the proposals, which must pass a second reading, Weirton’s mayor would receive an annual salary of $12,760, as well as an additional $75 for each information workshop and special council meeting attended. Wages for special meetings and workshops will not exceed $1,800 per year.

Council members, meanwhile, if the ordinances are passed, would receive wages of $8,700 per year, along with $75 per workshop and special meeting attended, increasing to $1,800 per year.

While there was no discussion of the proposal Tuesday evening, officials did explain some of the reasoning behind the increases last week

“It’s basically $100 a month,” City Manager Mike Adams explained during the city’s Finance Committee meeting on Nov. 7.

Adams said he made comparisons with other municipalities in West Virginia, arriving at the proposal by looking at existing office salaries and population.

“I looked at different cities,” Adams said, noting Wheeling in particular. “It’s hard to go apples to apples.”

Currently, the mayor receives a salary of $11,000 per year, while council members receive $7,500 per year.

These rates were established through a vote in November 2018 and went into effect on July 1, 2019. Prior to this, Weirton Mayor and Council salaries were last increased in 1991, according to previous reports.

If the proposed rates are adopted, they will come into effect on January 1, the day the new municipal council takes office.

Under the terms of West Virginia Code 8-5-12, which governs the compensation of officers and employees, “Notwithstanding any charter provision to the contrary, the governing body of each municipality shall, by ordinance, fix or cause to be fixed the salary or compensation. of every municipal official and employee: provided that the salary of an official shall not be increased or decreased during his or her term of office.

Council members Tim Connell, Chris Jonczak and Enzo Fracasso sponsored ordinances.

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