As the City of Fishers enters the final stages of fashioning the 2017 spending plan, the September 19th session will feature a public hearing, allowing local citizens to comment on the city’s spending priorities.
One issue expected to be front and center is the recommendation from the Council Finance Committee to approve a $7,000 per year pay increase for council members.
Why the large increase from $12,000 to $19,000 in one year? Many council members argue that the $12,000 per year salary has not been changed since the early 1990s.
There was also a study done comparing council compensation in Fishers with other similar municipalities, and it found Fishers to be at the bottom of the council pay ladder at $12.000 per year. Some cities even offer council members health and life insurance. There is no proposal at this time to offer councilors those benefits in Fishers
Even though the council meets only once a month, down from the previous two monthly sessions, those serving on the council say regular council meetings are a small portion of the time they spend on city business. Pete Peterson claims he kept track of his expenses for a few months and found he spent more money out of his pocket on city business than he was paid in council salary.
I am not advocating for or against the proposed council pay hike, but those are the arguments I hear from elected city councilors to justify the proposed increase in council pay for 2017.
City Clerk Jennifer Kehl was clearly not happy during the Finance Committee meeting held September 14th because her salary was recommended to rise 3% next year, the same as other city employees. Kehl had asked for a $20,000 a year 2017 wage increase, arguing that would put her in line with what other cities, of Fishers’ size, pay their elected city clerks.
“Why do you feel it’s fair that you guys can get the salary increase comparable to other cities of this size and it’s not fair for me to have the same?,” Kehl asked members of the Finance Committee.
“I don’t think it’s a question of fairness,” replied Finance Committee Chairman Eric Moeller.
“It is when I put my time in and I’m here and I work hard,” said Kehl.
Another major issue before council members Monday night is the mayor’s proposal to levy a wheel tax on vehicles registered to Fishers residents of $25 per year, per vehicle. The tax would start in 2018. Mayor Scott Fadness says the city will never be able to keep up with road maintenance without this extra revenue. He says state lawmakers added this option for local governments to raise their own revenue for maintaining roads. Fadness told the Finance Committee he fully expects more municipalities to begin approving this tax in order to keep up with maintaining their transportation infrastructure. If enacted, the tax would be paid when you pay the registration fee to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles each year.
Local citizens will obviously have their own views on these proposals, but I have summarized the arguments being put forth in favor of approving these ideas.
The budget will be presented to the council, and the public hearing will be held, at the September 19th council session. Final approval of the 2017 city spending plan will be voted on at the regular October council session.
The September 19th Fishers City Council meeting is scheduled to start at 7pm at City Hall.