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Councilors spar over adding 'base' to city manager salary ordinance; item tabled to Aug. 6
Summary
Councilors questioned new wording in an ordinance that sets the city manager's salary, arguing the insertion of the word "base" could alter statutory effect and allow future increases; after debate the council voted to table the ordinance to its Aug. 6 meeting.
The Gunter City Council debated proposed edits to an ordinance setting the city manager's salary during its special meeting on July 22, 2026. A councilor raised objections to the insertion of the word "base" before "salary," saying it departs from statutory language requiring the council to "set the salary," and argued the modifier could create room to add compensation above an agreed cap.
"Someone's trying to give themselves wiggle room to be able to add more beyond the 1 60 for the salary," the committee member said, arguing the statute calls only for setting "the salary," without modifiers. Councilors also flagged a duplicated Section 6 that restates notice language already in the recitals and questioned whether that language was necessary in the ordinance text. The chair and other members clarified the change would not prevent the manager from starting work if the ordinance were delayed, but they preferred precise statutory language.
After discussion, a motion was made to table consideration of the ordinance and take the item up at the council's next regular meeting on Aug. 6. The council voted in favor of tabling the item and agreed to return with revised language and any legal review. The clerk and councilors confirmed the item will appear on the Aug. 6 agenda for further action.
