SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Several council members in the Town of Surfside Beach want to give the mayor a raise.
Just a few weeks before elections in the town, council met in a workshop to talk about codes, policies and procedures which included a discussion about council and mayor pay.
Current Mayor, Bob Childs, makes $7,200 a year which hasn’t changed since 1992. Council members make $6,000 which was voted on in 2006.
“It’s ridiculous,” said councilwoman, Julie Samples, about the time it’s been since the town’s mayor got a raise. Samples, whose husband was mayor, explained to the council the time committment and how the mayor pays for his own travel and phone. After a lengthy discussion the council suggested raising the mayor’s pay to $9,600 a year and keeping the council’s pay the same.
“That job can be a 24/7 job,” Samples said about the role of the mayor. “Working with council and staff takes a lot of time, a lot of effort and it’s way overdue and well deserved.”
Councilman Randle Stevens was the only person who verbally disagreed on the mayor’s raise and said the council works just as hard as the mayor.
“I always will vote against raising money,” he said about the pay raise. “I’m not doing this for money, I’m doing it for the better of the town and that’s what I get paid for, to better the town.”
No official decision was made and no votes were cast because this was just part of a workshop discussion.
However, the council did agree to vote on the updated ordinance with the pay raise at its next meeting.
The following annual pay for other mayors was presented at Thursday’s meeting:
Conway: $16,000/year
Edisto Beach: $4,800/year
Myrtle Beach: $50,000/year
North Myrtle Beach: $43,625/year
Simpsonville: $9,600/year
