THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610120282
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: 53 lines
Mayor Rick Gardner has a deal for a community activist who challenged City Council members to take a pay cut and use the extra money to raise police salaries.
``I will give back to the city my $6,600-a-year salary if he, in turn, will give $6,600 of his salary to the city,'' said Gardner in a press conference Friday morning.
``I feel it is unfair to ask council members to give up the small income they receive for the time and effort they put forth for the city.''
Paul Bryant, who volunteers without pay as president of Inner City Forum, appeared before the council Monday and asked its members to give half their stipends back to the city. Inner City Forum is a grassroots organization that has tried to stem drug use and crime in Elizabeth City's black neighborhoods. Bryant is the coordinator of the Upward Bound program at Elizabeth City State University.
``I don't doubt Mr. Bryant's sincerity and applaud his efforts to improve the pay of city employees,'' said Gardner, adding that he wanted to see ``just how sincere he is. I would be happy for him to take me up on it. We would solve the financial problems of the city if more people would donate a portion of their salary.''
Bryant, reached at his office afterward, said he wasn't going to donate money because he already serves the city in the Inner City Forum without financial reimbursement.
Besides, he said, ``I was not part of the city's decision-making that placed it in the rut that it is in.
``I think any challenge of that sort is misunderstanding what we're trying to do here.''
The mayor, Bryant said, ``will not actually miss this because he's getting the money for services rendered to the city. Certainly, if I were sitting on City Council, I would do it. My volunteer time with Inner City Forum is worth way over $6,000.''
The mayor actually earns $6,780 a year. The mayor pro tempore earns $5,544 and each council member earns $4,704.
``These salaries are very comparable to other cities this size,'' said City Manager Steven Harrell, who has managed three other cities.
Bryant said higher pay would improve the Police Department.
``Certainly pay raises and better benefits will make them more effective,'' said Bryant. ``We need the Police Department to be as effective as possible.''
If the mayor and council members each gave half their stipend, the total would be $22,626. Divided among 45 police officers, each could get a raise of about $42 a month.
Harrell announced a plan last month to raise city employee salaries. City Council will likely approve the increase at the Oct. 21 work session. If approved, some police positions that have historically lagged in compensation will receive a significant raise beginning Jan. 1. by CNB