Fishers City Council President John Weingardt is recommending that all 9 council members discuss proposed changes to the compensation of local elected officials.  Council members currently are paid $12,000 annually with no other compensation.

As a member of the City Council Finance Committee, Weingardt leads a subcommittee looking at elected officials compensation.  That subcommittee was due to report a recommendation on compensation to the Finance Committee.

Weingardt had suggested council members be reimbursed for expenses they incur when conducting council business, with a system where councilors would only be reimbursed for verified, specific expenses.

“I’m a little concerned that I’m making a charge up a hill that I don’t have folks behind me that are wanting to do this,” Weingardt told the Finance Committee.  “I think we need to talk about it here in this committee, or have, probably a better discussion at work session (with the full council) so we can talk about council salaries and what folks want to see out of this.”

The full council work session on elected officials compensation may happen in August.

In other items before the City Council Finance Committee:

–City Controller Oscar Gutierrez told committee members Mayor Fadness has told department heads to submit flat budgets for 2017, the only exceptions being increases in contracts with outside vendors up to 5%.  Gutierrez said public safety departments are asking for additional personnel.  The mayor will look at revenue projections before deciding on what to recommend to the council.

–The special census is winding down.  Gutierrez said the final figures are not yet available, but the numbers known now show the city’s population as at least 86,000.  That is enough to bring in about $2 million in extra revenue to the city and would allow additional liquor licenses in Fishers, according to the controller.  The 2010 official census population figure for Fishers was 76,794.