By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The Montevallo City Council on Jan. 27 took another step toward establishing a monthly salary for the council starting with the next administration.

A motion to set the salary amount at $300 per month for each council member passed in a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Hollie Cost and Councilmen Jason Peterson and Arthur Herbert voting in favor, and Councilwoman Tiffany Bunt and Councilman Rusty Nix voting against the motion after citing concerns about the amount exceeding $100 per month.

“I have always been against paying the council because Montevallo relies so much on volunteerism, but we just don’t only do two nights a month,” Nix said. “We’re tied up with lots of events—anything that involves the city. I would just look at maybe $100 a month just to help reimburse on that.”

Bunt said she agreed with Nix, and added, “I think $300 to $500 is excessive when we have so many volunteer groups in this community.”

Peterson and Herbert voiced their support of a salary amount higher than $100 to be more effective in defraying council members’ expenses.

During citizen participation, resident H.G. McGaughy said the council deserved more money for their work.

“Y’all have got the town growing, and you deserve more I think,” McGaughy said. “$300 is not that much money for all the work y’all put in day by day.”

The council will vote on the ordinance with the $300-per-month council salary at the next regular meeting.

The council recently approved a $24,000 salary for the next mayor.

If the ordinance is approved, the council salaries will go into effect in November.

In other business, the council:

• Approved for the Montevallo Recycling Center’s hours to be changed temporarily to 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday in order for a person to be onsite to oversee drop-offs.
• Approved the 2020 Arbor Day proclamation.
• Approved a new design for the city’s website pending suggested changes and creation of a new logo.
• Approved paying for repairs to the recycling center’s HVAC out of the Sanitation Account in the amount of $5,192 to Active Air.
• Approved entering into a bi-annual HVAC maintenance agreement with Active Air.
• Approved entering into a Revenue Enhancement Services Agreement with HdL Companies (D.B.A. PREMA Corp.) at no cost to the city.