ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 27, 1996 TAG: 9602270114
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
NOTE: Above
$25,000 A YEAR for Roanoke's mayor? A little-noticed piece of legislation that quietly flew through the Virginia General Assembly could mean big raises for elected officials in Virginia cities.
Gov. George Allen may hold in his hands the size of paychecks for elected city officials across the state.
State delegates and senators in the Virginia General Assembly have given their unanimous consent to a bill introduced by Del. Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, that would raise state caps on city politicians' salaries by as much as 125 percent.
Cranwell says the bill was requested by the Virginia Municipal League, which represents the state's urban areas.
But it may end up placing local politicians on the spot by forcing them to vote on whether or not to increase their own pay.
State law doesn't set city officials' salaries. Instead, it caps salaries cities are authorized to pay mayors and council members, depending on population. Those limits have been fixed since 1985, according to the state Department of Legislative Services.
Cranwell's bill raises the cap on what cities can pay, allowing councils to adopt salaries up to that limit.
"All this does is give localities the ability to set their own salaries," Cranwell says.
If Allen signs the legislation, it would mean that:
* In Roanoke, the mayor and council could vote to raise their salaries from $15,000 and $13,000, respectively, to $25,000 and $23,000 - potential increases of 67 and 77 percent.
* In Salem, the salaries for the mayor and council could rise to $13,000 and $12,000, respectively. Currently they are capped at $8,000 for the mayor and $7,000 for council members.
* In Radford, which pays its mayor and council members much less than the state cap, salaries could rise from $3,900 and $3,300 to $12,000 and $11,500, respectively.
The bill would bestow the greatest percentage increase in the state cap on cities with populations between 35,000 and 94,999, such as Lynchburg.
Salaries for mayor and council members there are now capped at $10,000 and $8,000, respectively. Under Cranwell's bill, council members' salaries could more than double, to $18,000, and the mayor salary could double, to $20,000.
"I guess you could say the amount of time the mayors and city council members spend is a lot greater than the pay than they get," says Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, a former Roanoke vice mayor who voted for the measure. "This merely authorizes the councils to raise salaries if they wish. It's not a self-executing thing at all."
In Roanoke, the mayor and council have been paid the maximum allowable salaries for several years. Some council members say it may be time for a raise, albeit a small one. Council first asked that the cap be raised in 1990.
"I suspect there would be a request for a small increase," says City Councilwoman Elizabeth Bowles. "Usually it has come in small amounts - $1,000 a year over a period of several years. I think it will be discussed at budget study."
Councilman Jack Parrott says there's no big push on council for pay increases. But he thinks a case could be made for a $2,000 or $3,000 raise.
"I think it's probably a good idea. [Council duties] are beginning to take an awful lot more time than they used to, even compared to two years ago when I came on council," Parrott says. But as for quickly raising salaries to the new maximum, "nobody would even make that motion."
The measure, which would take effect July 1, has caused virtually no waves in Richmond.
Both the House and Senate passed the bill unanimously.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB