Laserfiche WebLink
DAVID B. WORTHY <br />CITY ATTORNEY <br /> <br />City of Martinsville <br /> <br />VIRGINIA <br /> <br />May 10, 1999 <br /> <br />Hon. Bruce Dallas, Council Member <br />P. O. Box 1!12 <br />Martinsville, VA 24114 <br /> <br />Re: Compensation for Council Members <br /> <br />Dear Bruce: <br /> <br />This is to respond to your inquiry on the above. <br /> <br /> § 15.2-1414.5 of the Code of Virginia provides that every "member of the <br />council of each city shall be allowed and paid out of the city levy an annual salary in equal <br />monthly installments, at a fee to be fixed as herein provided, for his services in attending <br />the meetings of the council and in discharging the duties imposed by law upon him." The <br />statute became effective October 1, 1998, as did § 15.2-1 41 4.6 which provides that the <br />"annual salary of each member of the council of any city shall be set by its members by <br />ordinance" which, for a city with a population of 15,000 to 19,999 persons, shall not <br />exceed $12,000.00 for the Mayor and 911,500.00 for members of Council. Any <br />"proposed increase in the salary of a member of Council should be adopted at least four <br />months prior to the date of the next municipal election," and no such "increase in the <br />salary of a member of Council shall take effect until July 1 prior to the next regularly <br />scheduled general election of council members." <br /> <br /> It is my understanding that council members are now compensated by a <br />certain amount for each meeting attended. The aforesaid statutes no longer allow <br />compensation on a per meeting basis, and I would suggest that the total compensation <br />received by the Mayor and members of Council last year be computed, and that an <br />ordinance be enacted fixing this amount as their annual salary to be paid in 12 monthly <br />installments. This would not be a salary increase, since it would be equal to last year's <br />compensation, and would merely provide your required authorization by ordinance for the <br />Mayor and members of Council to continue receiving that compensation entirely in fixed <br />monthly payments. <br /> <br /> Of course, any proposed increase in salaries would have to be adopted at <br />least four months prior to the date of the next municipal election, which I am assuming <br />will be next May, and will not take effect until after July I of next year. The present <br />ordinance that I am proposing of course is not subject to either of those time constraints <br />because it does not involve a salary increase, <br /> <br /> <br />