DOTHAN, Ala. — For the first time in more than three decades, the Dothan City Commission has rejected a proposed pay raise. The commission voted 5-2 on an amended proposal that would have significantly increased their salaries, with some commissioners pushing for an adjustment to match the raises given to the county commission.
Commissioners Dorsey and Kirkland were the only two to vote in favor of the amended proposal, which sought to make the pay more competitive with the county commission’s salaries. However, the majority of commissioners, along with Mayor Saliba, voted against the proposal after it was amended at the last minute.
“I was comfortable with where we were, but commissioners can’t get a raise unless I get one,” Mayor Saliba explained. “I honestly don’t care for a raise, but it’s been since ’89, so I could go for a slight one.”
The original proposal, which included a 3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), would have raised the salaries of city commissioners from $21,000 to $21,630, while the mayor’s salary would have increased from $42,000 to $43,260. Under the current structure, commissioners earn 50% of the mayor’s salary.
However, the amended proposal from Commissioner Dorsey aimed to make the raise more in line with what the county commission has received over the years, which would have raised commissioners’ salaries to nearly $40,000 and the mayor’s salary to over $70,000. The idea behind Dorsey’s proposal was to account for the fact that commissioners have not received a COLA increase since 1989, unlike their counterparts at the county level.
Commissioner Aristotle Kirkland defended the proposal, arguing that a modest raise was justified due to the increasing demands of the job. “I understood what Commissioner Dorsey was trying to do,” Kirkland said. “All the things we take care of – this is supposed to be a part-time job, but our phones ring 24/7.”
Despite the differences in opinion, the majority of the commission voted against the raise. Commissioner Bradley Bedwell, one of the four commissioners who opposed the amended proposal, agreed that the city’s commissioners deserved a raise, particularly in light of inflation and other nationwide issues. However, Bedwell emphasized that the increase should be modest enough to attract candidates to run for office, rather than solely to increase the salary.
The commission was required to vote on the proposal six months ahead of the upcoming city elections, meaning any potential raise would have affected the next commission, rather than the current members.
Regardless of the outcome, commissioners expressed that their commitment to serving the Dothan community would remain unchanged. “No amount of money will make a difference in what we’re here to do,” Commissioner Kirkland stated. “We’re here to serve the community to the best of our ability.”
Ultimately, the proposed pay raise was rejected, maintaining the status quo for now.
