DANVILLE — There is no more debating, the Mayor of Danville in 2027 will be getting a $20,000 raise.
Intense discussion has filled the council hall about the proposed increase of the mayoral salary for the next term, since it was placed on the agenda in March.
The mayoral salary will increase to $130,000 — a $20,000 increase — after passing by a vote of 8-6 in Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr., who has defended the increase since it was put forth on the agenda back in March, once again defended the increase, noting he is currently the “23rd highest paid person in the city of Danville.”
Williams mentioned several positions, like the President of Danville Area Community College, making more than his position pays. And he said he does this while managing “several hundred people and [a] $70 million budget.”
“This is not about Ricky Williams,” he said. “This is about the future of Danville, and at a better salary, it’s more fair, and you have an opportunity to recruit a higher candidate pool.”
Ward 4 Alderman Tricia Teague, who is one of the four candidates running for mayor, has staunchly opposed the $20,000 increase.
“Since it hasn’t changed in terms of what’s being proposed, I will be voting no,” Teague said. “I had said previously that I was going to abstain because I made that statement before any discussion had occurred, and I did not want to sway the direction of the discussion as it related to this specific salary or any other alternative salary that might be proposed, but since it has not changed, and I’ve already stated that I was not going to vote for it, that I would have been a no.”
Ward 7 Alderman Doug Ahrens, also one of the four candidates running for mayor, voted no on the increase. Both Ahrens and Teague hinted they would give the raise portion of the salary back if elected for the position. Alderman Jeleel Jones, Barry Johnson, Ed Butler, Teague, and Ahrens voted no on the increase.
The treasurer’s pay was approved, but there is also the question of changing the position from an elected one to an appointed one with an ordinance adoption or through a ballot referendum.
“This is not worth it; we’re potentially penny-wise, pound-foolish if we reject this now,” Ahrens said about the change. “I’m counting on the mayor to deliver those to the committee, and I’m hoping that the council will vote to make this an appointed position.”
Teague once again agreed with Ahrens about changing the position of treasurer to an appointed one.
“An elected position is not a position that requires a certain amount of education or professionalism,” Teague said. “What it requires is being able to gather enough votes… Bozo the Clown could get elected because Bozo the Clown is popular, and that doesn’t guarantee that Bozo the Clown is going to do a good job regardless of what the salary is.”
The position of treasurer is still an elected position, but that could change prior to the election. The vote to increase treasurer pay from $65,000 to $90,000 was approved with only two no votes from Teague and Alderman Jon Cooper.
“This is not about a person. Treasurer (Chris) Heeren has done a heck of a job,” Williams said. “But this is not about any of us. This is about the position and the future of the city… we’ve got to make sure we protect the financial interests of our citizens.”