In September of 2013, the City Council passed Resolution 2340, which allowed councilmembers to participate in the city’s insurance program “at the same cost and upon the same terms and conditions as regular employees of the City.” This means the City Council can purchase insurance for themselves and their families at a discounted rate, and the taxpayers pay a portion of those insurance premiums. This effectively gave the City Council and Mayor additional compensation beyond the amount outlined in the City Charter without a referendum.
The City Charter details how salary and benefits are to be awarded to Councilmembers.
The Charter states that, “the salaries and/or all other benefits to be provided to the Councilmembers as a body, may be adjusted only by referendum.” This means that only YOU, the citizens, have the power to give the City Council the ability to participate in the city’s insurance plan at a cost to YOU, the taxpayers. The City Council of 2013 effectively voted to give themselves compensation without a referendum, in defiance of the City Charter. To be fair, not every councilmember voted to approve this measure, yet enough votes were cast to pass Resolution 2340.
I voted to have Charter Amendment 1 added to this election’s ballot because I wanted to put this decision back into the hands of the voters of East Ridge, where it belongs. The City Council position is part-time, and many councilmembers are able to work full-time jobs to support themselves and their families while serving our community. Because they can hold
full-time jobs, they may have the opportunity to obtain insurance through their employers, at no cost to the citizens of East Ridge. Amendment 1 allows councilmembers and the Mayor to purchase the City’s insurance plan at full cost to themselves. This is a generous benefit to them that will come at no cost to the taxpayers.
I personally will be voting “Yes” on Charter Amendment 1 to allow the East Ridge City Council and Mayor to participate in the City’s insurance plan at full cost to themselves. As a City Council member, I can tell you that our Council is adequately compensated for its service. For this reason, I encourage you to vote “Yes” on Charter Amendment 1.
David Tyler
East Ridge City Council Member
