By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
In Ellinwood, the elected mayor gets paid $100 per meeting and city
council members receive $30 each meeting. In Hoisington, the mayor gets $200
plus $10 per meeting.
Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis surveyed other cities in Kansas on
whether their local governments compensate their elected city council members
and mayor. Out of the 42 cities that responded back to Francis, 39 of them pay
their elected officials. Compensation varied from $1 a year in Mission
Hills to $23,488 per year in Lenexa.
A couple of Great Bend City Council members asked about compensating the eight
board members and mayor, which are currently unpaid.
During a work session Monday night, Mayor Cody Schmidt said paying elected officials
in Great Bend might attract the wrong candidates.
"I was in a local business of somebody that I think would make a great councilmember," said Schmidt. "He always has ideas. He'd say 'nope, can't do it.' As soon as this (payment) was brought to the air, he said if we offered insurance he'd sign up to run for council. You want it for the insurance or the pay, not for what we do this for free of charge. I think you'll have a lot of people put their name in the hat for the wrong reason."
Councilmembers Lindsey Krom-Craven and Natalie Towns suggested $50 per meeting
for councilmembers and $100 for the mayor. With a lack of interest from the
public to run for the elected seats most years, Towns believed a stipend might
attract more citizens to file for office.
"My point is it wouldn't hurt to see if we did it," said Towns. "Other cities do. I just don't see the harm in it. I don't think that just because you get paid, you can't do it (serve) selflessly."
Councilmembers Alan Moeder and Jolene Biggs vocally mentioned they were against
the idea of paying board members.
With two councilmembers not in attendance, and a couple staying quiet on the topic, there was not enough support to carry on the stipend suggestion.
Elected Officials Payments
Ellinwood
Mayor: $100/meeting
Council: $30/meeting
Hays
Mayor: $150/month
Council: $150/month
Hoisington
Mayor: $200 + $10/meeting
Council: $100 + $5/meeting
Larned
Mayor: $300/month
Council: $175/month
McPherson
Mayor: $991.37/month + health insurance
Council: $991.37/month + health insurance
Hutchinson
Mayor: $0
Council: $0