STERLING- The Sterling City Council elected to raise the wages paid to city council members and staff last Tuesday in their monthly council meeting.
The mayor, Keenan Pearson, was getting an annual salary of $500 per year while simultaneously working full time elsewhere and using his own personal phone for business. City council members Heather Myers, Justin Alder, Yvonne Larson and Tammera Privert all agreed to raise the mayor’s wage to $100 a meeting. With one meeting a month, the new annual salary will be $1200.
Each city council member also moved to raise their salary to $360 a year, or $30 a meeting.
Larson, who also serves as the treasurer, has been on the council for 10 years. The council motioned to give Larson a raise to $17 an hour for her work as the treasurer.
The newly hired clerk, Cindi Madsen, will be receiving $15 an hour. Sterling Fire Chief Nick Lyons will be receiving $2400 a year for his work. Not only does Lyon serve as the fire chief, he also takes part in grant writing and local activities such as the city’s fireworks displays.
The next meeting has not been scheduled, but should take place sometime in the month of June.