(A) City Council shall establish the compensation of every elected officer not later than the first Monday in May in the year in which the officer is elected. An elected officer’s compensation shall not be changed after his or her election or during his or her term in office.
(1) In order to equate the compensation of mayors and councilmembers with the purchasing power of the dollar, the Department of Local Government computes by the second Friday in February of every year the annual increase or decrease in the consumer price index of the preceding year by using 1949 as the base year in accordance with § 246 of the Constitution of Kentucky, which provides that the mayor in cities of the first class shall be paid at a rate no greater than $12,000 per annum and mayors in cities other than the first class and councilmembers shall be paid at a rate no greater than $7,200 per annum.
(2) The City Council shall set the compensation of these officers in accordance with KRS 83A.070 at a rate no greater than that stipulated by the Department of Local Government.
(B) The City Council shall establish the compensation of city employees and non-elected city officers in accordance with the personnel and pay classification plan ordinance of the city.
(C) All fees and commissions authorized by law shall be paid into the city treasury for the benefit of the city and shall not be retained by any officer or employee.
(D) The compensation of members of City Council shall be increased from $3,000 to $5,000 per annum effective January 1, 2023, payable pursuant to division (F) below.
(E) The compensation of the Mayor shall be increased from $6,000 to $12,000 per annum effective January 1, 2023, payable pursuant to division (F) below.
(F) The compensation of the elected city officials in divisions (D) and (E) above, shall be paid according to one of the following options, to be selected and submitted to the City Clerk by the city official within ten (10) days after publication of Ord. 2023-01, and by January 20 of each year thereafter:
(1) Once a month; or
(2) Once a year to be paid in November; or
(3) In two (2) semi-annual lump sum payments per year, one at the first June City Council meeting, and the other at the first November City Council meeting. This option shall be the default if the City Clerk is not timely advised according to this division (F).
(G) If an official resigns before the end of the term (other than as addressed in division (H) below), then the compensation will be paid pro rata.
(H) If an official resigns voluntarily or is forced to resign, due to an ethics board or criminal investigation, or is removed from office pursuant to law, prior to that year’s November City Council meeting, no compensation shall be paid for that year.
(I) Provided, however, a hardship exception may apply and a former official may be paid on a pro rata basis for the portion of the year served if she or he left office due to death, disability from injury or sickness, or if she or he moves outside of the city due to transfer of his or her job outside of the voting district. The hardship exception shall be considered at the next regular City Council meeting and must be approved by a majority of City Council.
(J) Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be paid on a pro rata basis for the months served in the year of appointment; to be paid for a particular month, that appointee shall take office by the tenth of that month.
(Am. Ord. 2002-01, passed 3-11-02; Am. Ord. 2008-11, passed 9-9-08; Am. Ord. 2014-08, passed 6-9-14; Am. Ord. 2018-09, passed 9-7-18; Am. Ord. 2018-15, passed 1-8-19; Am. Ord. 2022-05, passed 4-12-22; Am. Ord. 2023-01, passed 3-14-23)
Statutory reference:
Compensation, see KRS 83A.070 and 83A.075
Compensation, see KRS 83A.070 and 83A.075