This column represents the thoughts and opinions of Jason Hennington. This is not the opinion of the Taylor Press.
The Taylor City Council Thursday night approved a controversial ordinance to give themselves a raise. Their compensation goes from $12.50 a meeting to $500 for council members and $750 for the mayor per each session. Essentially, it is a 3,900% increase.
Do I think council members deserve a raise for all the time and effort they bring to city governance? Yes. But do I also think it’s too much? Yes again. However, I also think some of those vociferously opposed to the measure may have protested a little too much as well.
Mind you, I am not speaking as an impartial editor of stories about the council — my objectivity on City Hall stories will never change. Instead, this merely is a personal observation as someone who grew up in Taylor, who went to school in Taylor, who still has relatives in Taylor and who wants to see my neighbors and friends get along in a civil manner.
The increase could have been smaller. Like many others, I think the recommendation by an ad-hoc committee appointed by the council to review the measure was sufficient; they had advocated for a much smaller stipend for what is, essentially, a volunteer position approved by popular election.
Even a little extra for the mayor would have been OK, as suggested by Councilman Mitch Drummond.
However, the pay increase was not the only thing that was “too much” at the meetings.
People spoke out against the expenditure, rightfully so, but it went from a discussion about increase stipends to personal attacks on council members.
Many of the speakers focused their attention not on the proposed ordinance, but turned public hearings into forums critical of the elected leaders’ personal lives, their financial status and their activities in the community. In many instances, councilmen were called out by name in an attempt to expose them. Folks even revealed how much specific council members made in their day jobs.
While I understand the frustration some folks felt, leveling personal attacks directed at a select few is not the way to show your anger.
During the first public hearing, resident Micheal Prillaman approached the issue in the right way, staying away from vituperative statements.
He simply questioned why the council did not accept the compensation committee’s recommendation. He talked about how creating the committee was a “simple ruse” to calm the public. He said if the constraints of being on the council are too much, members should step aside for someone who can handle the job.
He said he was not against a pay increase, he just thought it was too much.
Aside from mentioning the Citizen of the Year award, received by Mayor Brandt Rydell and Councilman Robert Garcia, everything he said was directed at the entire council.
However, other speakers made it personal. Charters and rules were cited several times, including language about how much councilmen are paid per meeting and duties relegated to their elected positions.
Oddly, no one ever spoke up about established rules of order on how to conduct council meetings.
Stay with me on this. A few weeks ago, Rydell faced ridicule for not allowing someone to speak out of turn. The truth is, an agenda is posted for every meeting and each item includes a designated time of three minutes per speaker from the audience with no response or interruptions from the dais. Then, you move on to the next item. Case closed.
If the council is expected to follow the rules, speakers should have to also.
So, now that a pay hike has been approved, it should come with additional responsibilities. That’s the way it works at most jobs. Before the ordinance goes into effect Oct. 1, which is the start of the new fiscal year, let constituents decide what form those extra duties will take.
I’m going to get off my soapbox now, and fix the rim on my goal so daughter Jasmine can get some shots up this weekend.
“The object of Rules of Order is to assist an assembly to accomplish the work for which it was designed, in the best possible manner.” — Robert’s Rules of Order
