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Biloxi council approves pay increases for mayor and council amid split vote
Summary
The Biloxi City Council approved changes to mayoral and council compensation in a 4-3 vote after heated discussion about timing, comparators and municipal priorities; councilmembers signaled further discussion about annual adjustments for city employees.
The Biloxi City Council voted 4-3 to adopt an ordinance amending the salary and compensation for the mayor and council members. The ordinance was presented on second reading and passed after prolonged discussion about comparable cities, historical pay practice and priorities for city operations.
Councilman Glavin, who presented the proposal, said he compared Biloxi to nearby Gulfport and that the ordinance puts a transparent number on the record rather than tying pay to an outside index. "We didn't tie it to an index," Glavin said, describing the approach as a deliberate, public figure rather than an automatic formula.
Several council members called for more moderate or graduated changes. Councilman McGilvray suggested adopting a 5% increase and then an annual percentage (1.5–2%) for future budgets; Councilman Shoemaker supported a raise but said he could not back the mayoral increase at the present time because of other city needs such as pavements and ditches. Councilman Lawrence and two others recorded opposition to the ordinance as presented.
Council discussion also noted that the city provided a 5% pay increase to most city employees earlier in the budget cycle and that the administration is conducting a compensation study whose results will arrive in March. The council debated whether to adopt the full package now (which would affect the upcoming election cycle and statutory timelines) or to approve a smaller or staged increase; the ordinance as presented received a final vote of 4-3.
Votes at a glance: Ordinance amending salary and compensation of mayor and council members — motion by Councilman Glavin; second by Councilman Lawrence; outcome: approved 4-3 (Opposed: Councilman Shoemaker, Councilman Tisdale, Councilman McGill).
