BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Last week, after sending the press out of the room to observe a large check presentation, the Birmingham City Council voted to give themselves a 233 percent pay increase without any public notice. Now, Alabama legislators from the Birmingham area are calling out the council members, saying the way the increase was passed was “deceitful.”
“I think they abused their authority,” Sen. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills) told ABC 33/40. “They took advantage of their situation and it was deceitful.”
The vote increased the wage for City Council member, a part time position, from $15,000 to $50,000 beginning in 2017. The raise will only be available to those members reelected next year. In addition to the increase is an expense allowance of nearly $10,000, bringing total compensation to almost twice that of the city’s median household income.
“I would call it being done under the cover of darkness,” Waggoner continued. “It was very deceitful the way it was done… It was sneaked through and I think most people resent that.”
Birmingham City Council president Johnathan Austin contends the vote was “transparent,” and said the council didn’t provide for public input because it “wasn’t required.”
Senator Waggoner said he is looking into ways the Alabama Legislature—which has lots of authority over municipal governments—can require public notice.
Senator Rodger Smitherman (D-Birmingham) says he agrees with his Republican colleague.
“I’m going to be a cosponsor of it because I think that it’s necessary to have the transparency we are talking about and also I think we need to give the public opportunity to have input,” Smitherman explained.
Representative David Faulkner (R-Mountain Brook), fresh off his first term as a legislator, said he also believes a public notice requirement should be passed for every city.
“I will support a bill and be happy to,” said Faulkner. “I’m new to the legislature. I’m a little shocked we don’t already have a bill in place.”
“That’s the people’s money,” he continued. “So if you’re going to use their money to give yourself a pay raise, I think you need to be very transparent about it and I think you need to give notice.”
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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