Mayor and city council pay raises will be discussed again in January

Decorah City Council members on Tuesday, January 3rd, will renew the discussion of a pay raise in 2018 for the mayor and city council members.

There hasn't been a pay raise for city council members since 1999.  They currently receive $40 for each city council meeting--$960 a year.  City council member Dan Bellrichard said the job is somewhat thankless and sometimes only one person comes forward to fill an open city council spot.

City council member Steve Luse suggested a different option--to keep city council pay at $40/meeting, but regularly hold "work sessions" the fourth Monday of every month and pay city council members to attend.  Luse said it's difficult to schedule city committee meetings at a time every city council member can attend and standardizing meetings to the fourth Monday would be a benefit.

Council members agreed to return to the issue at their next meeting and to discuss the mayor's salary as well.