Tekoa increases mayor salary

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Oct 03, 20190

The Tekoa city council voted to increase its mayor’s monthly salary from $100 to $450 Sept. 16.

The matter came on request from Mayor Troy Wilson, who told the council this spring that the job required more time than he originally thought.

Wilson and Kynda Browning, Tekoa’s clerk/treasurer, then researched other towns of similar size and how much they paid their mayors and council members. She presented what she found at the July meeting, followed by further information based on towns’ property tax revenue at the August meeting.

“We were sorely behind,” said Mayor Wilson.

At September’s meeting, council representative Wendy Sienknecht suggested the Tekoa mayor should be paid a rate between $300 and $500.

Dave Tysz made a motion to increase the salary to $500 which would come from the city’s current expense fund. Alyssa Heagy seconded the motion but the council voted no. After discussion, Sienknect motioned to put the salary at $450. Tysz gave it a second. The motion passed, with two no votes – from Roy Schulz and Bethany Fletcher.

“I don’t think that’s why we do what we do. We all do stuff we lose money at,” Schulz commented.

City council members pay rate of $40 per month was unchanged.

“I thought the council would review their own wage too, but they did not,” Mayor Wilson said.