By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
The topic of finding an incentive or compensating Great Bend City Council members resurfaced at Monday’s meeting. Councilmember Natalie Towns sent a letter to Mayor Cody Schmidt and City Administrator Kendal Francis about figuring out a way to get more citizens interested in filing for election.
Four
incumbents in each city ward ran unopposed in the November election.
"If someone else has a better idea of trying to get other people to run for council," said Towns. "Nobody is wanting to run, and I think that is a serious thing. The priority seems to be, it's a sad thing to say, but it seems like nobody wants to do anything for nothing."
This past summer, councilmembers Towns and Lindsey Krom-Craven suggested $50
per meeting for councilmembers and $100 for the mayor. Without enough support,
the suggestion was dropped.
Councilmember Jolene Biggs and the majority of the
governing body were still against the stipend idea.
"I would argue the point that people don't want to do something for nothing," said Biggs. "There are hundreds and thousands of people that donate time and energy in lots of different causes and don't get paid for that. I don't know what people you're talking with, but the people I talk to are okay with doing that because that's helping the community."
Mayor Schmidt said he was making no plans to discuss the matter until the majority
of the council was in favor of being compensated.
Ellinwood, Hoisington, Larned and Hays all compensate their elected officials
at different levels.