Proposed change would fine Kasson mayor, councilmembers for missing meetings

A proposed ordinance change could be costly for those who don’t attend meetings if enacted by the Kasson City Council.
Last month, the City Council was presented with a potential change to its ordinance regulating the salaries for councilmembers and the mayor.
“It’s that time of the year where typically in the past if someone wants to take a look at those salaries that’s when the council has done it before an election,” City Administrator Tim Ibisch said. “They don’t take effect until after elections.”
Ibisch, while not specifying who, said one of the council members had asked about it.
As part of the proposal, the mayor would receive $7,200 per year, and city councilmembers would receive $6,000 per year.
The proposal would also change the pay for councilmembers and the mayor from twice a year to once a month.
Currently the mayor receives $4,000, council members receive $3,000 and can make $35 per meeting for up to 36 meetings every six months “when acting at any meeting as the official designee of the City Council, excluding the two regularly scheduled Council meetings.”
Under the proposal, flat fees for meetings would be eliminated.
If the mayor and councilmembers attend 36 additional meetings every six months the total extra compensation would be $1,250 every six months or a total of $2,520 a year. Yearly compensation would be $6,520 for the mayor and $5,520 a year for councilmembers.
One of the major changes, however, would be a penalty for those who don’t attend meetings regularly.
“A Councilmember’s compensation shall be reduced by two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per meeting for any unexcused absences from a regular council meeting,” the proposed language stated. “An unexcused absence is when a Councilmember does not notify City Hall in advance of the regular council meeting that they are unable to attend or will be late for a meeting. A Councilmember is allowed four (4) excused absences per year. Any absences from a regular council meeting in excess of four excused absences are unexcused.”
Ibisch said there is a trend with some people getting elected in communities and then not showing up.
“A lot of small towns are seeing people who get elected and don’t participate,” he said.
Mayor Chris McKern, who is retiring at the end of his term in December, said he’s not a big fan of elected officials voting for a raise for themselves, and suggested they look at having the salary increases based on something like cost-of-living adjustments.
The Council ultimately decided to have a public meeting in the near future to solicit public input on the issue before moving forward. Ibisch also said he would do more research on what the pay is for comparable size cities.
“I think we should see what the public has to say and keep moving forward,” McKern said.