Northport Considering Pay Bumps For Future Mayor, Council

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council on Tuesday will hear the first reading of a measure proposing pay increases for the city's future mayor and council that would go into effect during the next term beginning in 2024.

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If passed, the pay increase for elected officials would be the first of its kind since the last salary adjustment was implemented in October 2000. The proposal calls for an annual bump of $7,000 for the salaries of each elected official, with council members currently making $8,500 a year, while the mayor is paid $15,000. Additionally, the council president's annual salary at present is $10,500.

The presentation from the city's legal department says the increase would come out to an annual raise of $300 over the past 24 years by the time the new council and mayor are sworn in on Nov. 4, 2024.

Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch on Monday that a study was conducted in 2015 that showed Northport was behind its peers in terms of pay for its elected officials.

"This is a first reading only and we will be listening to staff and finance committee recommendations," he said of the proceedings scheduled for Tuesday.

He then pointed out that federal and state governments increase minimum wage faster than most municipalities and, if passed, the pay increase will not be extended to the current council and mayor.

"Obviously, no one does this job for the money, but it would nice if the new mayor and council didn’t have go in a hole and use their own funds to support the amount of time they spend on city business," Hogg said. "This is not something being pushed by the current council as it doesn’t affect us. We just want to help lay the groundwork for the future of Northport in hopes that more people will get involved and run for office in the future."

The first reading, which will see no action taken, will be conducted Tuesday night during the City Council's regular meeting, which was rescheduled due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.

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