Jamestown Aldermen Eliminates Its Raises

Jamestown’s Board of Aldermen voted to eliminate a budgeted raise for the aldermen and mayor.

Mayor Lyndon Baines said the pay raises were folded into this year’s budget process.

“There was a board member that came in and asked for me a raise and them a raise,” Baines said. “I didn’t know it until I got the copy of the budget. And when I got the copy of the budget, I went, ‘Nope, I don’t want this’.”

The pay increase was not scheduled to go into effect until December 1. That would be after this fall’s election. The earlier measure raised the Mayor’s salary from $36,000 to $50,000, while Alderman would have their pay raised from $300 to $500 per month.

Baines said he does not think raising the salary is in the best interest of Jamestown.

“If I did win or if I didn’t win, whoever got it would be the one to get the raise,” Baines said. “It’s turned down now, so it’s back to what it was.”

Although the mayor’s salary is reverting back to $36,000, the Aldermen will still receive a little more compensation for extra work. In addition to the $300 per month they receive, they will now get an additional $60 per any extra meetings.

“The Alderman did get a little more money,” Baines said. “They have to leave their jobs sometimes to go to meetings or something like that we have to have.”