Decatur council holds first reading on higher mayor and council pay; debate over timing and oversight

The Decatur City Council on Feb. 26 held a first reading of an ordinance that would raise the mayor's and city council's salaries for the term beginning in November 2025.

Kyle Demeester, finance director, told the council the city must complete any change within six months of the election and that Feb. 26 was the statutory deadline to act. "The law requires that in order to change it, it has to be complete within 6 months prior to the election," Demeester said. He told the council the proposed increases reflect comparisons with other Alabama mayors and the scope of responsibilities the mayor holds, including oversight of a roughly $100 million general fund and more than 500 employees.

The ordinance was read for a first reading as Ordinance 2054602; no adoption vote occurred at the special-call session. Demeester repeated that salaries had not been adjusted since 2012 and that the proposed mayoral salary, including a separate car allowance, is intended to align…