South Milwaukee alderpersons would see a $50 monthly pay raise spread over the next three years under an ordinance change under consideration.
Common council members are currently paid a base salary of $525 per month, with the council president making $575. They also receive $100 per month for expenses.
Under the ordinance passed 7-1 (with one alderperson abstaining) at the Aug. 19 meeting …
- The base salary and stipend would be combined into one salary figure.
- Starting April 1, 2015, that salary would be $655 per month ($705 for the council president).
- One year later, it would move to $665 per month ($715 for the council president).
- Then, in 2017, it would increase to $675 per month ($725 for the council president).
So it’s a $50 increase spread over three years.
This is the first increase in council pay since 2009. Before that, the last increase was in 2001.
And while I would have likely voted against it as an alderman — I’m not convinced this is the right time for a pay raise — it’s a reasonable compromise from what was first proposed at our July meeting.
The aldermanic raise still needs final passage before it becomes law. It got its first reading and passage at the Aug. 12 council meeting. It will be discussed again at Tuesday’s council meeting before potentially getting its second and third readings.
(By the way, mayoral pay is $925 per month, and the expense allowance is $125.)
South Milwaukee Blog 
This is probably the topic for another post so comments don’t go down a rabbit hole that I’m not intending, but what are the powers of the mayor with respect to ordinances passed by the Council? Can you veto something like this is you didn’t like it? I don’t recall ever hearing about that happening. Again, this question is not a recommendation one way or another on this particular issue. With a 7-1 vote, I doubt it would matter anyway.
Indeed, I have veto power, but I don’t plan on using it here. I was prepared to veto the previous version of the pay raise under discussion at our July meeting, which would have been the first mayoral veto in at least five years. It never happened when I was an alderman.
It would be good to know who ultimately votes for this proposal. It may be useful come election time. A 25% raise in the first year ($655/$525) and a 29% raise after three years ($675/$525) for a part-time job doesn’t seem to line up with the private sector these days. A $14,400 budget increase per year (starting the third year) for alderman salaries must mean the city is not hurting for money. Also, what do they receive for expenses now? I’d like to know what ideas they have for cutting to offset their salary increases.
Monthly, the alderpersons currently receive $525 salary and $100 expense allowance for a total of $625. If the ordinance is adopted as is, they will receive a total of $655 monthly at the beginning of the next term (April 2015). The total increase is $30 per month, per alderperson, or an increase of 4.8%. The expense allowance is proposed to be incorporated into the salary. They already receive it so it should not be included when calculating the increase. The total budgetary increase for all eight alderpersons will be approximately $2,000 for 2015. The total budgetary increase for all eight alderpersons from 2014 to 2017 will be approximately $4,500.
Chris, to be clear, aldermen receive one paycheck, reflecting $525 per month for salary and $100 per month for expenses. Under the proposed ordinance change, those salary and expense lines would be combined into one. That “new” single $625 salary would then increase to $675 over the course of three years. So an 8% increase spread over three years (from $625 to $675).
What are these expense budgets being used for? It shouldn’t be incorporated into ones salary as if you don’t use it you get it. Gives no incentive to use it for anything but themselves. In the private sector if you are given an expense budget and it’s not used it is put back into the company. This is typical governmental politics at it’s finest. Show me how this city is improving and cleaning up it’s image and I will be all for a raise.
In the meantime use the $800 ($100×8 aldermen) per month to clean up this city, i.e. the litter
Thanks for the clarification. May I ask how the expense allowance is typically used? If this proposal combines the two items, can I assume any additional expenses beyond the $100 per month would be paid for by the aldermen themselves?
Alderpersons pay for their own cell phones, gas, printer ink, computer paper, home wifi for IPADs, social events attended like the Chamber of Commerce dinner, 128 Dinner Dance, Library fundraisers etc. Many people don’t realize that S.M. Alderpersons work from home.
Chris H. That is correct. Anything above & beyond is not covered.
Chris H. – According to today’s Milwaukee Journal insert (that which replaced the decent local papers we used to have), Mr. Maass and Mr. Van Dusen vote NO in the final ballot.
The final passage vote was 7-1abstain (Clark)