By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – Marshfield aldermen have revoked a pay raise given to them by council members more than three years ago.

On Sept. 10, the common council voted 7-2, with aldermen Tom Buttke and Jason Zaleski “no” and Rebecca Spiros absent, in favor of an ordinance that rescinds part of an earlier pay increase granted to Marshfield aldermen in April 2016. At that time, council members said “yes” to raises tied to annual increases given to non-represented staff.

City Administrator Steve Barg said the city attorney and League of Wisconsin Municipalities reviewed the ordinance, and deemed it inappropriate, saying that local governing bodies must take specific votes to grant themselves pay raises.

“It’s been questioned rather significantly as to whether or not you actually can have a voted pay increase that is perpetual tied to the increased to non-represented staff,” he said. “The presumption is that you have to be voting yourself a pay raise; so, the first time fine, after that it can’t be an ongoing thing.”

The pay raises granted by the council in April of 2016 took effect on May 1 of 2018, and bumped the monthly salaries of aldermen from $375 to $382.50 – a two percent increase.

Last year’s pay increases represented the first raise Marshfield aldermen received in 18 years. They still make less than their counterparts in Wisconsin Rapids, Wausau, and Stevens Point.