Better Pay for Council

In today's Times-Call (with a link to a free version here) Council Member Shiquita Yarbrough suggests that better pay for council members would attract a more diverse council. At $1,000 a month there is a LOT of work to do. Those who are youngers, those who have less flexible jobs, those without the resources for babysitters etc have a hard time being in office.

I don't disagree. Review the packets each week with over 400 pages of information to go through is daunting. But my solution is different.

The city council doesn't need higher pay, it needs less work. If the job becomes running the budget, protecting individual rights and maintaining our public safety/utilities/roads and not running housing, recreation,

garbage or even museums, then the job becomes more in line with the pay rate.

People still want to serve their communities by being in office. It isn't about the money.