The Plymouth Common Council approved on 2nd and 3rd reading the ordinance establishing salaries of elected officials for 2018 during their meeting Monday night.
The ordinance, which passed unanimously, provides no increase in pay for the mayor, clerk/treasurer or city council members.
Councilman Don Ecker asked Mayor Senter to explain his thoughts on keeping elected officials pay flat-lined.
Mayor Senter said, “Obviously this year, especially the end of the year, things have not gone the way a city or town wishes they would. With our number one and number four utility customers for waste water and water leaving there is additional stress on the utilities.” He went on to say, “One-third of our salaries, all elected officials, comes from the utilities in the community.”
Senter noted on the What’s Your Opinion Show Tuesday morning that Bay Valley notified him on August 4th that they would be closing by the end of the year, and 5 weeks later, Del Monte announced they would also close their doors in Plymouth. He said that is 250 jobs. He also mentioned the needed rate increase for both water and sewer and said he felt it was the right thing to do and not take a pay raise for 2018.
