Council discusses raising member pay; opts to ask staff to draft resolution

Councilman Bob Parsons led a discussion on July 8 about increasing City Council compensation for the incoming 2026 council. Parsons and staff presented background data including comparisons with other Alabama “Big 10” cities and inflation calculations. No final vote was taken; the council directed staff to prepare a resolution for future consideration.

Parsons said the current council salary is $7,200 and has not increased since February 2006. He said the average council salary among the referenced Alabama cities is roughly $17,122 and proposed a council salary of $15,000 per year; he proposed $18,000 per year for the Mayor Pro Tem to reflect an estimated extra time commitment. Parsons said an inflation adjustment to the 2006 salary would be roughly $13,000, and that a higher pay level might broaden the pool of potential candidates.

Council members discussed timing and mechanics; staff said any change would not take effect until the next council seated after the 2026 election (seated November 2026). Mayor and city staff said the item would be presented as a resolution (not an ordinance) on a future agenda; the council indicated a target of July 22 for a first reading but agreed the item could be scheduled later to allow public notice and budget review. Two council members — Chief Dawson and Councilman Griswold — asked to be recorded as opposed to moving forward at this time. The mayor confirmed a majority of the council directed staff to place a resolution on a future agenda for formal consideration.