EAST CHICAGO | Elected officials in the city will receive the same pay in 2013 as they have been compensated this year.
Approved unanimously without comment by the City Council on Monday night, the rates for mayor, judge, clerk and council members could not be reduced, said Juda Parks, D-at large, co-sponsor of the salary schedule ordinance.
Indiana state law has held since 1981 that "the compensation of an elected official may not be changed in the year for which it is fixed, nor may it be reduced below the amount fixed for the previous year."
Salaries for 2013 were set at $62,104 for mayor, $60,962 for city judge, $57,462 for city clerk and $42,356 for each City Council member.
The council also authorized the city to borrow up to $35.2 million from the Indiana Bond Bank as a hedge against possible late disbursement by Lake County of property taxes collected this year.
Remittance from the county is expected in June and December, but many communities use the so-called "tax anticipation warrants" to ensure that bills are paid and payrolls met in the event of any tardy release of tax revenues.
More than $700 million is earmarked by the bond bank to Indiana municipalities each year, and the loaned amounts are then repaid when property taxes are distributed.
Rather than convene on Christmas Eve, the council set its next meeting for at 6 p.m. Wednesday in City Hall.
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