Thursday, July 9, 2009

Full Time Mayor Issue Again Discussed In Meeting

   Members of the governing board of the City of Lawrenceburg discussed once again Thursday the issue of a full-time versus part-time mayor.

   Before the board adjourned the bi-monthly business meeting Thursday morning Council member Jerry Moore made a motion to have citizens vote on the matter during the city’s next election. Moore stated he felt the city needed to have a full time mayor in office rather than relying upon the services of one who can only devote part time services.

   As has been the case in the past, City Attorney Alan Betz explained his take on the city’s charter regarding the mayoral issue. “There is no such thing as a part time mayor. Mr. Mayor (Durham) you are Mayor of this city twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, whether you are here or not…If you want to change it so that the city has a full time mayor, you need to change the mayor’s salary to reflect that.”

   Betz pointed out that the post of mayor currently pays $7,500 annually. He said that in order to enlist the services of a mayor on a full time basis, he felt it was only necessary to increase the salary to a level that reflects that expectation.

   Betz referred to the position of Lawrence County Executive as an example. “There is nothing written that prohibits the county executive from having another job,” he said, “but the salary is set at a level where the expectation is that he will devote his attention to the job on a full time basis.”

   In the end Moore withdrew his motion, requesting instead that the matter be discussed during an upcoming work session.

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