A measure to increase compensation for the mayor and council members is headed for a final vote next month.
The village of Hiram’s council president earns $250 a month, council members make $200 a month and the mayor earns $20,000 annually.
The legislation would increase the council president’s pay to $400 a month, council members to $350 a month and the mayor to $24,700 a year.
If approved, the pay hikes will take effect in January. Since Hiram’s elected officials cannot have a pay adjustment during their term of office, the only council members who could potentially benefit from the increases are Council President Robert Dempsey and members Michael Greenwood, David Smith and Chris Szell. If they stand for re-election, and prevail, they would receive the pay increases with their next term.
The mayor is not eligible for a January raise because his term is until Dec. 31, 2023.
Hiram wants to keep taxes in the village
Council passed a resolution opposing Ohio Senate Bill 97, which concerns taxes for workers who were or are working from home for more than 20 consecutive days.
Normally people who are physically at their usual workplaces pay taxes to whatever municipality they work in. With Covid, however, even though they have worked or are working from home, their taxes still benefit wherever they would have normally been employed. SB97 would require those taxes to be paid to the city where the employee lives, or to be refunded to them if they do not pay taxes to where they live.
Greenwood said council opposes the measure because municipalities “desperately need that income.”
The bill is pending in the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee.
Keep the noise down
A measure to limit noise from excavation equipment will proceed to the third and final reading next month. Council’s intent is to limit excavation operations to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with no excavation permitted on Sundays unless authorized in writing by the Village Administrator.
Hiram will receive $225,000 in federal funds
Council committed to accepting its $225,000 share of American Recovery Program funds. No word on when the funds will arrive, but Council and Hiram’s department heads are already discussing how the money will be used while keeping an eye on as yet unspecified parameters, Skrovan said.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.