Prairie Grove council doubles mayor’s salary

PRAIRIE GROVE — The city council unanimously approved Feb. 22 to double the salary for the mayor’s position, from $30,000 to $60,000, effective 60 days from the date of passage.

Mayor Sonny Hudson last week said the city was “way behind” for its mayor’s salary and he believes a higher salary will help down the road for the next person elected mayor.

In an email to council members in November, Hudson recommended the city spread out the raise quarterly over 2021, if the council decided to increase the salary for the position.

He said the council briefly discussed a raise in December, but no action was taken.

Hudson said he decided to bring up the increase again at the Feb. 22 meeting. Council members received a proposal to increase the salary the day of the meeting.

Councilmember Doug Bartholomew is the only one who asked a question at the meeting and wondered how the mayor’s salary compared to salaries for mayors in other cities.

“I told him that I agreed you need a raise but I would like to see what other mayors make,” Bartholomew said last week.

Councilmember Rick Ault provided information about other mayor salaries at the meeting, and Bartholomew said that answered his question.

Ault said he pulled information from an Arkansas Municipal League 2019 salary survey for cities with populations from 2,500 to 9,999.

Ault said the U.S. Census Bureau estimated Prairie Grove to have a population of 6,740 on July 1, 2019. Using that estimated population, Ault said he looked at the four cities with a population just greater than that in the survey and the four cities with a population just less than that in the survey. The mean average salary was $63,632, Ault said.

Prairie Grove fell in the middle of Lowell, Heber Springs, Pocahontas, DeQueen, Farmington, Mena, White Hall and Alma.

For those above Prairie Grove, Lowell had the highest salary, $89,198 for its mayor’s position, according to the survey, Ault said. For those below Prairie Grove, White Hall had the highest salary, $74,200 for its mayor’s position. Farmington pays its mayor $72,000.

“It’s not about the salary of Mayor Hudson,” Ault said. “It’s about the position itself.”

In a Facebook message, Ault said it’s important for the council to consider the responsibilities for the position, the city’s budget and a comparison with similar cities to ensure a fair and equitable compensation.

“The position of mayor functions as the CEO of the city,” Ault said. “He or she is responsible for the day-today leadership of all department heads including (but not limited to) water, fire, police, parks & recreation, and sanitation.) The role of mayor also helps set a vision for the city and should continually seek to improve the overall quality of life for her citizens.”

Based on a mayor’s responsibilities and the salary survey, Ault said he believes the new $60,000 salary for the mayor’s position is appropriate.

Hudson, who has served as mayor since 2001, said he began serving as a full-time mayor in 2008. At that time, the city paid the mayor a $6,000 salary. The council increased the mayor’s salary to $30,000 in 2011.

“Anytime you take those larger jumps in salary, it’s because you’re so far behind and it hurts,” Hudson said.

He said the city’s 2021 budget includes money for the increase.

In other business Feb. 22, the council withdrew an ordinance from the agenda so city attorney Steven Parker could make changes to it for the March 15 meeting.

A proposed curb and gutter ordinance would have allowed developers to pay the city engineering and construction costs to install curb and gutter, in lieu of installing those as part of their project.

The way the ordinance was written, developers could have made the decision themselves on whether to do the work or pay the city, Parker said.

Several council members said they thought a curb and gutter decision should be made by the planning commission, not the developer.

Ault said he saw the option as another “tool” for the planning commission.

“I’ll work on it and bring it back in March,” Parker told council members.

Hudson