Rapid City committee leaves proposed elected-officials salary resolution undecided; consent agenda passes without item 11

Dec. 31, 2024 — The Rapid City Legal and Finance Committee approved consent items 1 through 16 except for item No. 11, which committee members debated but did not advance.

Item No. 11 would have directed the city attorney to prepare a resolution related to elected officials’ pay. Councilman Bill Evans urged tabling the item, saying the committee had not discussed what to ask the city attorney to prepare and that the matter “took us by surprise.” Evans moved to table the item, saying, “I would move that we just table this item until such time as we actually have a chance to think about what we want to direct the attorney to do.”

Council member Josh B. Woodard disagreed with delaying the item and moved to approve No. 11, saying the committee was “just directing the city attorney to prepare a resolution of elect officials. We’re not voting on what it is. So I think it’s prudent to move forward with it and from there we can have a discussion instead of delaying it.”

The committee considered the motions but did not reach consensus. A motion to table received a recorded outcome described in the proceedings as “a vote of 2 to 3” and did not carry. A later motion to approve No. 11 lacked a second and was declared failed. As a result, No. 11 remained undecided and was not included in the approved consent items.

Several members said they wanted additional discussion and briefing before directing legal staff. Council member Kevin Maher asked for more information on proposed dollar amounts and suggested meeting with staff for a recommendation rather than asking the city attorney to use the figures in the packet. Pat Roseland said she preferred more discussion with legal counsel before moving the item forward. Bill Evans also raised a salary figure in the discussion, referring to the mayor’s pay: “the mayors whose salary went up from $80,000 to a hundred and what is it? A hundred and $20,000 just last year.” The committee did not adopt any changes to elected-official pay at the meeting.

Earlier in the meeting the committee adopted its agenda on a motion by Evans and a second by Pat Roseland. The remainder of the consent calendar — items 1 through 16 except No. 11 — was approved on a motion by Pat Roseland and a second by Kevin Maher.

No further direction to staff or formal amendments to existing policy were taken on item No. 11. The committee adjourned at the conclusion of the agenda.