11/30/11 November was the month for discussion on the 2012 Salary Ordinance for Argos. The Salary Ordinance was presented to the Argos Town Council in October with a single line for Clerk-Treasurer/Utility Clerk. Currently the salary for the Clerk-Treasurer is set at $5,000 annually and the position of Utility Clerk is set at $35,520 annually. Both positions have always been performed by the elected Clerk-Treasure prior to and after the resolution creating the “Utility Clerk” was adopted in 1995.
Town Attorney, Derek Jones, investigated the State Board of Accounts regulations and informed the Council, during the November 2nd meeting, the listing could be combined in the ordinance. Patty Jones, Clerk-Treasurer, showed the Council that three fourths of her work week was performing duties of a Clerk-Treasure and one fourth as a Utility Clerk. She felt the salary of the two positions should be swapped to represent the proper pay for the duties performed. Council Member, George Null, argued that if the Council keeps the pay separated the council could, in the future, take away the “Utility Clerk” position and compensation from the Clerk-Treasurer as a way of leveraging the for the Clerk-Treasurer to resign. After a long discussion, Council Member, Val Harley moved to leave the Salary Ordinance the same, as previous years, pertaining to the Clerk-Treasurer and Utility Clerk positions and pay. The motion carried 4 to 1 with President Dave Walker opposing.
The Salary Ordinance then was passed on the first reading, after several different motions that failed to accept the 2012 Salary Ordinance with the proposed changes and no increase for the Clerk-Treasurer and Council Members. The vote was 3 to 2. During the November 16th meeting the Salary Ordinance was passed on the second and third reading 3 to 2.
