Prairie Grove Officials Consider Upgrading Mayor Job
Last updated Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:17 PM CDT in News
By Randal Seyler
Washington County Newspapers
PRAIRIE GROVE - City Council members are taking the first step to make the city mayor a full-time position.
Alderman Fred Collins brought the topic up during Monday's City Council meeting.
"Do we want to consider making the job a full-time position? I suspect he puts in a lot more hours than what he is paid for," Collins said of Mayor Sonny Hudson.
Presently the office of mayor is part-time and pays $500 a month.
"I suggest at the very minimum we form a committee to consider the possibility," Collins said.
Alderman Paul "Murph" Pair suggested the council research the situation and come up with a "plan A and plan B."
"Even if it's not full time, maybe we need more compensation for the mayor," Pair said. "It's not enough as it is now."
Compensation of the mayor is a decision the city council could make by ordinance, said Steven Parker, city attorney.
Pair asked the city attorney to research the legality and requirements of making the mayor's position a full-time job, adding a committee would be formed to study the personnel aspects of the change.
Larry Oelrich, administrative services/public works director, said the salary for mayor hasn't changed since 1984, when the pay was increased from $250 to $500 a month. Oelrich said he would survey cities in the region to get an idea of what mayoral salaries are and report back to the council.
In other business, the council purchased $56,514 of skate ramp equipment from American Ramp Co. in Joplin, Mo., for the city skate park.
Pair told the council American Ramp Co. is giving the city a $6,279 discount on the equipment.
The council also accepted the low bid of $79 per ton from APAC Arkansas for asphalt overlays in the city. The cost of the total overlay project is estimated at $135,000, Oelrich said.
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