HOBART | When it comes to giving raises to elected officials next year, City Council members can only be considered stingy when it comes to their salaries.
Council members on Wednesday agreed to give 3 percent raises to Mayor Brian Snedecor, Clerk-Treasurer Deborah Longer and City Judge William Longer but not to give themselves additional money.
The $7,239 annual salary council members received this year will go unchanged next year, the council unanimously agreed.
Under the approved 3 percent raise Snedecor's salary will go from $54,752 to $56,395; Deborah Longer's from $52,208 to $53,774 and William Longer's from $43,315 to $44,614.
City Councilman Brian Rosebaum, D-3rd, said he was comfortable with not giving raises to council members.
But he said he feels the city needs to give raises to the mayor, clerk-treasurer and city judge to retain good people and stay on par with those positions when compared to other communities.
City Councilman Pete Mendez, D- 2nd, praised all three elected officials for keeping the city running smoothly with the mayor especially hard hit with the flooding situation last September.
"He kept a good clean house," Mendez said.
Snedecor returned the compliment to the council saying he felt those members deserved a raise as well.
"I've asked every council member to step up double time. I've asked a lot of you. I think it's a travesty if you don't give yourselves a raise," Snedecor said.
He said council members in communities one-half the size of Hobart receive $10,000 a year on up.
Mendez, who is retired, said the salary he receives as a councilman isn't the important thing for him, nor for most of the others.
"I'm not here for the money. ... We're here to serve the community," he said.
City Councilman John Brezik, D-5th, said: "What Pete says mirrors what the rest of us feel."
The council at its Dec. 3 meeting approved 3 percent salary hikes in 2009 for city employees.
The council made that decision after learning at that meeting it had a certified budget in hand and the state had approved an excess levy appeal request for more than $886,000.
In other business, Snedecor told the council the state had approved a traffic light at U.S. 30 and Clay Street. The cost of the light will be $115,000 with the city picking up approximately one-half of the expense, he said.
