Second in a series on the candidates for city council, mayor
Candidates for the Ward III City Council post are sharply divided on whether councilors and the mayor should receive pay for their work.
Randy Howard and David Ragsdale Jr., discussed their views on council pay and a number of other topics in a meeting with the Phoenix editorial board Tuesday. Both are on the April 6 ballot for Ward III. Also on the ballot are races for the Ward IV seat and mayor.
Ragsdale said he doesn’t favor a council salary, but would instead call it a stipend. He said he was thinking of $200 per council meeting, or $400 per month.
Howard said the job should be strictly volunteer, that to pay council members would take money away from city employees. He said he would not accept council pay.
It won’t be an issue for whoever wins the seat this year. State law prohibits public officials from giving themselves a raise while in office. A change in the city charter would first have to be adopted by citizens before council pay could be considered.
Ragsdale said giving councilors a stipend would make them work harder and be more accountable to the public.
He said he has a friend on the Tulsa city council who is paid and has talked to him about council pay.
“It keeps their feet more to the fire, because when people are paying out money, they want more productiveness from the council,” Ragsdale said. “I think that’s why Muskogee is not more into it, because some of them have ‘I don’t care’ attitudes. But when they’re paying out their dollars, they are going to be more active to see what you’re doing — are you doing your job. If you’re not, then we have to do something about that.”
Howard said he is adamantly opposed to the idea of council pay.
“This is not about us, it’s bigger than us” he said. “It’s about the citizens of Muskogee. If we’re going to do our bit as far as leading Muskogee, I don’t think money should be involved in it.”
Reach Liz McMahan at 684-2926 or lmcmahan @muskogeephoenix.com.
