Karen Pinard, a member of Bastrop’s Charter Review Committee, would like to see council members and the mayor’s position get a bit more money for their efforts.
Council members now receive $75 per month and Mayor Terry Orr gets $150 for what many agree is a substantial workload.
“I have a real problem with the compensation – it’s a huge responsibility (being on council),” Pinard said during a meeting of the charter committee last Monday.
Committee member Debbie Moore was even more direct.
“It’s crazy,” Moore said about the pay.
On a separate issue, committee member Rev. R.D. Smith raised the question of whether citizens might be better served voting by single-member districts, instead of the at-large procedure now in effect.
These were some of the points of discussion raised by the charter committee during their meeting Monday night, the third since being formed at the end of 2009.
The committee is composed of nine volunteer members from the community, and chaired by council member Ken Kesselus. They are tasked with reviewing and making recommendations for any changes to the city’s current 27-page “Home Rule Charter” which was adopted by citizens in an election held in May 2004.
The charter calls for a review process at intervals not to exceed six years.
“We passed the charter in 2002, so we are a little behind time in doing this review,” Kesselus said. “That’s why I was so eager to get the process rolling as soon as I took office as a council member.”
Kesselus said the mayor asked him to represent the council in the committee.
“The mayor looked at this committee as an extraordinary one requiring special attention,” Kesselus said. “He asked each of the council members to recommend a name and then he nominated whomever we listed and added a couple of others to flesh it out.”
The committee has held three meetings so far and is also seeking citizen input and comments.
Kesselus said after discussions, including citizen input, the committee will try to reach a consensus on any proposed changes to the charter. If a consensus cannot be reached, the committee would work by majority rule under Robert’s Rules of order.
Charter committee members are: Camilo Chavez, Willie DeLaRosa, Kesselus, Moore, Pinard, Brandi Smith, Rev. R.D. Smith, Lias Tantaksinanukij and Jeff Yarbrough.
Kesselus said the committee’s next meeting has not yet been set. Citizens can find out by calling city hall and watch for the listing in The Bastrop Advertiser.