Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

PELHAM – The Pelham City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to increase the salary of the mayor and councilmembers during a city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 4.

The new base salary for the mayor is $75,000 annually, with the city council president earning $13,000 per year and the other councilmembers earning $11,500 per year. In addition, the mayor and council is also eligible for the insurance benefits of full-time Pelham city employees, as well as Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) that are applied to city employees across the board.

According to City Council President Maurice Mercer, the salary increase will not go into effect until Nov. 3, 2025.

“For any members of the audience here this evening that may or may not have been at the last meeting, by law, we’re required to set the salaries for the potential mayor and council that would be elected the next term,” Mercer said. “It would not affect anyone sitting here, but it would come after the election in November after the swearing in of the council and mayor.”

The current base salaries for the mayor and councilmembers were established in 2016 with the mayor earning $45,000, the city council president earning $10,800 and the other councilmembers earning $9,600.

Since these salaries have been increased over the years as Pelham granted city employees COLAs—including a COLA that goes in effect on Jan. 1, 2025—the salary of the mayor for 2025 calculated forward is $53,224.87, with a salary of $12,773.99 for the city council president and $11,354.66 for the city council.

When comparing the new, base salaries with the salaries adjusted for the Cost of Living Adjustments, the mayor’s salary will see an increase of $21,775.13, with the city council president’s salary increasing by $226.01 and the other councilmembers’ salaries increasing by $145.34.

In addition to insurance benefits and COLAs, the mayor will also receive a monthly stipend of $500 as a vehicle and fuel allowance in lieu of a city vehicle and any mileage reimbursements.

Those interested in more information about the Pelham City Council can visit Pelhamalabama.gov/27/Government.