EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – On Monday, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke included in his annual budget proposal a provision that would raise the mayor’s salary by $35,000. 14 News spoke with each of this year’s mayoral candidates about the proposal.
Democratic Candidate Stephanie Terry said that the decision ultimately lies with the city council. She said she feels the mayor makes an adequate amount of money, but that’s not why she’s running.
“When I came into this race, my decision to run for mayor, salary was not something that I was thinking about,” she said. “I see it as an opportunity to serve this community. It hasn’t been something that I’ve considered or even thought about until this point.”
Libertarian candidate Michael Daugherty said the fact that it hadn’t been considered by any candidate prior to now is a reason that the raise should not be approved.
“All three of the mayoral candidates are running based on the $100,000 a year,” he said. “That should be deferred to the next mayor to decide… I think if the city council approves that, the money should be allocated to our police.”
Republican candidate Natalie Rascher said the raise is a way to attract talent.
“Whether it’s the mayor’s role or a city clerk, it doesn’t matter what the position is, we have to have qualified individuals there and make sure we’re paying them a wage that’s worth doing the job,” she explained.
The City Council will decide on the budget on November 1, and the election is just six days later.
Copyright 2023 WFIE. All rights reserved.
