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VALLEY — Candidates who are elected to office in the City of Valley’s August 26th municipal election will likely make more than those who are presently serving on the city council.

On Monday, a first reading was held for an ordinance to increase the pay for the city’s mayor and council members. It could be approved following a second reading at the February 24th council meeting. The rises will go into effect after the new council is sworn in.

At present, the city’s mayor is making $1,500 a month, or $18,000 a year. The ordinance would raise that to $1,916.66 per month, or just under $23,000 a year. Council member pay is $1,100 a month right now. That comes to around $13,000 a year. If approved, the ordinance would boost that to $16,500 a year.

With today’s cost of living, it would be hard for anyone to make a living on that income alone, but it is a nice supplement to the income one is presently making.

Public school superintendents in Alabama are paid well. When he was superintendent of Chambers County Schools, Leonard Riley was making a six-figure salary. It’s a tough job, and a superintendent truly earns their pay. Being mayor of a growing city like Valley is a pretty demanding job as well, and Mayor Riley puts a lot of time into what he does for the city. Getting that for $18,000 a year has been a bargain. The council members are well deserving of what they have been making as well.

A raise in pay could serve as an inducement to getting more eligible Valley residents to run for office.It could be a pretty interesting election year this year. Qualifying will be taking place between June 10th and June 24th.

In other action at Monday’s council meeting, a bid was awarded to erect a fence around a new lot for Public Works, some budget amendments were approved and some city-owned vehicles were declared surplus.

Yard Pro was the low bidder to put of the new fence. Owned by Michael Cooper, Yard Pro offered to do the work for $17,333.

One of the budget amendments is in the amount of $7,010.83 and covers the cost to repair a city vehicle. A second budget amendment is in the amount of $22,835.67 and covers the cost of repairing the pool at Valley Community Center. The vehicles that are being declared surplus have been with Valley Parks and Recreation. They include a 2011 Starcraft/Starlite bus with a little over 100,000 miles on it,a 2014 Starcraft/Starlite with a little more than 95,000 miles on it and a 2008 Dodge Durango with just over 150,000 miles on it.

These vehicles can now be sold to high bidders.

In council member communications, District One Representative Jim Clark thanked Mayor Riley and Code Enforcement Officer Reid Riley for their help in a situation that has recently been going on in his district.

A local Kia supplier has a 70,000-square-foot warehouse on the former Shawmut Mill site. There have been problems with trucks going to and leaving the site, and some local residents have complained of traffic delays, signs being knocked down and curbs being damaged. Clark said he believes the company means well, is an asset to the community and that these problems can be worked out.

Council Member Jimmy Gilson complained about an unsightly debris pile on Railroad Street and asked if anything could be done to clean it up. He said the pile contained such items as discarded furniture and old tires. “I have gotten complaints from local residents on this,” he said. “I have gone by to look at it, and it’s terrible. People shouldn’t have to put up with this. We can’t let this kind of stuff take over.”