Council to hold retreat this week
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on February 14, 2017 9:55 AM
Members of the Goldsboro City Council haven't received a pay hike in more than 20 years and will review whether a change is warranted during its annual retreat this week.
Councilman Antonio Williams recently asked that council pay and benefits, as well as summer youth job opportunities, be discussed during the retreat.
The council will meet for two full days, on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to nearly 5 p.m., and Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Goldsboro Event Center at 1501 S. Slocumb St.
The annual retreat is an effort by council to delve deeper into city projects, consider new initiatives and set its course for the coming year.
City Manager Scott Stevens recently asked council for input regarding topics that would be discussed at the retreat. Williams, at the time, asked that the council look at summer youth employment opportunities and asked when the council last received a pay increase. He also said he is interested in benefits.
"We have some (council members) that own and operate their own businesses," Williams said. "I know in other cities, nearby cities, they implement benefits, benefit packages for their council members.
"I think that's a perfect topic to discuss. I know that I'm interested in some benefits, as far as health coverage."
Each member of the council currently receives an annual salary of $9,000 and travel allowance of $3,000. Mayor Chuck Allen only accepts a $4,800 annual travel allowance.
Allen has declined his annual $11,400 salary and asked that the money be used to pay for employee star awards.
The last year the council received a pay increase was in 1996, said Laura Getz, Goldsboro deputy city clerk. The council decreased its pay in 2009 from $9,600 to $9,000 during a downturn in the economy.
The council's retreat will start Wednesday with a review of priorities the council set a year ago. Council pay and benefits are planned for discussion next and will be followed by summer job possibilities for youth.
Other topics planned Wednesday include fees for the Goldsboro Municipal Golf Course, Goldsboro Event Center and the Paramount Theatre.
The council will receive an update on the Goldsboro Police Department and are set to discuss incentives that could be offered through the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp.
The council will also spend nearly four hours talking about its strategic plan, a topic that will consume a majority of the council's time each day.
On Thursday, discussions will continue and include dirt streets, traffic calming, a newly created stormwater stakeholder committee, focused demolitions and water reclamation equalization basins. The council will talk about the strategic plan for more than three hours Thursday.
The retreat concludes with a revision of the council's priorities and recap of decisions made during the retreat. Topics planned during the retreat are subject to change, due to last-minute revisions or requests by the council, Stevens said.