By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to give themselves a $10,000 a year pay increase.
Their monthly pay will go from $150 to $1,000. The mayor will receive $1,250 a month.
Vice-mayor Sandy Jacobs had earlier presented the recommendation for increased compensation, the first time it has been addressed in 20 years.
"It's not about the person. It's about the value of the position," said Jacobs, who is retired.
"Hopefully, this will bring diversity by maybe replacing some hours by people who have full-time jobs that have to be away from those jobs, not only for meetings but for other responsibilities the commissioners have," she said.
Commissioners said they devote anywhere from 15 to 35 hours a week to city business.
Hays city commissioners are paid considerably less than their peers in several similarly-sized cities as well as some smaller towns.
The $63,000 budget line item will come from the general fund, which is funded by sales tax, said Mayor Shaun Musil.
It amounts to 0.0014 percent of the city's budget, according to Toby Dougherty, city manager.
"The governing body is making policy decisions guiding a $40 million budget every year into the future. The city commissions have made good sound decisions, decisions that have led us to have essentially the lowest property taxes outside of Johnson County [and] have reserves funded," Dougherty said.
"We want to make sure we keep high quality people on the board. ... I think $12,000 is undervalued given the time each and every commissioner has put into the position," he said.
The commission also approved the authorization of $3.5 million in industrial revenue bonds for the Grow Hays microfactory, which is scheduled to open in mid-February.
The city will act as a conduit for the bonds that allow Grow Hays to be exempt from sales tax for all purchases related to construction of the project and to obtain a real property tax abatement for 10 years.
In other business, the commission:
• Approved the 2023 pool operations loss reimbursement request of $33,319 from the Hays Recreation Commission. Attendance at the Hays Aquatic Park was 43,204 patrons compared to 45,816 visitors in 2022. Attendance at Wilson Pool was up seven people from last summer to 2,903 in 2023.
• Approved two vehicle abatements for 3312 Lincoln Drive and 2507 General Hancock Road.
• Approved the new corporate limits boundary of the city after six land parcels were annexed into the city this year.
• Heard an update of activities by the Child Care Task Force of Ellis County by facilitator Sarah Wasinger, president/CEO of the Hays Chamber. In the past six months, Ellis County has added five in-home providers, six in-home group providers and one child care center.
• Heard about the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange from a German student staying with a Hays family