Local News

Mayoral raise passed by Parkersburg City Council

PARKERSBURG - City Council approved the final reading of a nearly 39% pay increase for the next mayor after rejecting two amendments during a Tuesday meeting that at times turned raucous as members of the audience expressed their opposition to that and other matters.

It happened during the first meeting after the administration implemented restrictions on the size of bags people could bring into council chambers. Mayor Tom Joyce said the decision was made after some people - including elected officials, city employees and people in attendance - expressed safety concerns after the Oct. 26 meeting and a threat toward a public official was made.

The ordinance increasing the salary from $90,000 to $125,000 for the mayor who takes office in 2029 was advanced to second reading last month on a 5-3 vote. It passed this time by the same margin, again with Councilmen Zak Huffman and Chris Rexroad and Councilwoman Wendy Tuck opposed and Councilman Mike Reynolds absent.

Before that, Tuck made a motion to amend the ordinance to include a provision that if a member of council who voted in favor of the raise was elected mayor in 2028, he or she would be paid at the $90,000 salary instead of the increased rate.

"This amendment is offered in good faith to promote public confidence and demonstrate that the vote is based upon the appropriate compensation for the office and not for personal" benefit, she said.

The amendment was rejected 5-3, with only Tuck, Huffman and Rexroad voting for it.

An amendment offered by Huffman to reduce the salary to $95,000 a year failed by the same amount and votes.

When council President Andrew Borkowski announced the ordinance had passed, a woman in the chambers jumped up and called council a "disgrace." When Borkowski called for order, she responded with profanity before leaving the room.

Multiple speakers in the public forum had spoken against the ordinance, with some criticizing officials for being willing to increase the pay of the mayor instead of spending it on other needs. Others questioned the rationale that a higher salary would attract more qualified candidates, as Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl has said in the past.

"If anyone chooses to run for mayor for the salary, they are running for the wrong reasons," Parkersburg resident Mark Hardesty said.

The mayor’s salary was last increased in 2020. Proposals to raise it to $110,000 and later $97,000 in 2024 didn’t come up for votes.

During the message from the executive, Joyce said he asked for the restrictions on bags brought into the chambers to be implemented. A post on the city's Facebook page says backpacks, duffel bags and oversized tote bags will not be permitted in council chambers. Purses are permitted, provided they are no more than 14 inches wide or 12 inches tall.

"I'll take the blame for that," Joyce said.

After the meeting, the mayor declined to specify what happened in the previous meeting that made people say they felt unsafe. He also declined to elaborate on the threat he mentioned, saying it was the subject of an active police investigation. Police Chief Matthew Board said it's being looked into.

"It's really just about keeping folks safe," Joyce said.

The bag restriction was criticized by at least one speaker in the public forum, who also mocked the retractable belt barrier that has been in front of the council dais for several months.

The forum became heated at times when people questioned the absence of an American Sign Language interpreter at recent meetings.

Some speakers also opposed an ordinance that would have rezoned property belonging to and including Beamer’s Auto Body on Ninth Avenue, which had been tabled at the Oct. 12 meeting on a 7-2 vote. No member of council made a motion to remove it from the table, so the measure was not taken up.

Evan Bevins can be reached at newsandsentinel.com.