Town Council votes itself a raise
Staff Photo, Vincent Vala
Mayor Pranas Rimeikis (above) will make $1,100 per month, a $300 raise.
It’s been 11 years since Culpeper Town Council got a raise. But on Saturday afternoon, following a nearly five-hour closed-session meeting on water and sewer issues, the town’s governing body made up for lost time.
By a vote of 4-2, Town Council raised the mayor’s monthly salary, before taxes, to $1,100 — up from the $800 it’s been since 1997. The vice mayor will now make $1,000 per month, compared to his former $700 salary.
The other seven Town Council members saw an increase to $900 per month — $200 more than the $700 stipend put in place 11 years ago.
Councilmen Jim Risner and Chris Snider voted against the raises, citing poor timing and even poorer economic times.
Councilmen Steve Jenkins, Mike Olinger and Bobby Ryan had already left Saturday’s meeting when the salary vote was taken, according to Lisa Hutcherson, deputy town clerk.
“I could not justify giving council a raise when we could not give town employees the raise the town manager recommended,” Risner said of across-the-board staff cuts council approved in the new fiscal year budget, beginning July 1.
Town employees saw their raises slashed in half this year, receiving a 1.25 percent cost-of-living increase with the potential for another 2 percent merit raise.
Last year and in other recent years, employees received a 2.5 percent cost-of-living raise with the potential for another 4 percent merit raise.
“I understand council has not had a raise in a number of years,” Risner said, “but for most town employees, what they get paid by the town puts food on the table and a roof over their heads.
“That is not the case with most, if not all, council members.”
Snider echoed Risner’s remarks, saying, “My concern is for our employees.”
He also named cuts this year in funding to Culpeper Renaissance and the museum as reasons why he couldn’t support the council raises.
Ryan, who served on council from 1994 to 2002 before assuming his new term July 1, said Monday that although he wasn’t there for the vote, he would have supported the council raise.
“Council hasn’t got a raise in 10, 11 years,” he said, “while everybody else gets a (cost-of-living) or merit raise.”
He said it would probably be another 12 years before Town Council received another pay increase.
Councilman Jenkins said he supported the raise as well. He said the Town Council Personnel Committee began considering the proposed increase weeks ago.
“I do support it, and the reason why is, I feel council’s (salary) should mirror the Board of Supervisors’ members,” he said Monday in reference to the elected leaders of Culpeper County.
Plus, Jenkins said, the town has experienced enormous growth in recent years, resulting in additional workload for Town Council members.
“I certainly did not have a problem with a small increase,” he said.
Vice Mayor Billy Yowell, present for Saturday’s vote, said a raise for council was under consideration year after year. If stretched out over the past 11 years, the increase approved Saturday would have amounted to about 2.3 percent annually, he said.
“It is always hard for council people to give themselves a raise because we are serving the public,” he said, “but lately, especially the last year or so, there has been much more work and meetings, so I think it is fair.”
Town Councilman Duke duFrane said he voted for the raises because it was time.
“I wasn’t terribly interested in myself,” he added. “I was more interested in the mayor getting an increase because he spends an awful lot of time doing the town’s work.”
DuFrane said it’s not easy for an elected official to support these types of raises.
“I think council always feels guilty about giving itself an increase because there are so many pressing needs that we sort of just cut it out of the budget every year,” he said Monday, “and that sort of happened 11 years in a row.”
Mayor Pranas Rimeikis did not return requests for comment, but Councilman Chip Coleman said, Rimeikis has been serving as “assistant town manager” for the past year since the departure of former Assisant Town Manager Noah Simon.
Coleman said Rimeikis is “spending half his time in town hall working.”
Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101 or
How much is it?
Mayor Pranas Rimeikis (above) will make $1,100 per month, a $300 raise.
Vice mayor Bill Yowell (right) will make $1,000 per month, also a $300 raise.
The remaining seven councilmen will make $900, a raise of $200 per month.
Town population: 15,100
What do the others make?
A look at what local elected officials earn monthly (unless otherwise noted) for their service, before taxes:
Culpeper County
Board of Supervisors
Chairman $1,056
Vice chairman $973
Supervisors $931
County population: 46,008
Culpeper County
School Board
Chairman $683
Members $583
Fauquier County
Board of Supervisors
Chairman $1,782
Vice chairman $1,652
Supervisors $1,522
County population: 66,170
Warrenton
Town Council
Mayor $800
Council members $400
Town population: 9,000
Orange County
Board of Supervisors
Chairman $1,250
Supervisors $1,000
County population: 32,000
Orange Town Council
Mayor $400
Council members $300
Town population: 4,123
Gordonsville
Town Council
Mayor $600
Council members $375
Town population: 1,500
Madison County
Board of Supervisors
Chairman $833
Supervisors $750
County population: 13,500
Madison Town Council
Mayor $100 *
Council members $100 *
* every three months
Town population: 309
Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors
Chairman $400
Supervisors $200
County population: 7,200
Washington, Va.
Town Council
Mayor $10 per mtng
Council $5 per mtng
Population: 200
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Reader Reactions
No employee in any other business is allowed to give themself a raise. You can ask for one. I quess it should start being voted on by the people who are paying for the salary, plus the raise. Wait a minute; that us. Let’s change the by-laws—the people working for us can’t give themselves a raise anymore. Plus now is not the time to spend money. I would had rather had raised teachers salaries or given the money to the schools for something. I’m not a teacher, but I see the kids society is giving them and working with them is harder work then compare to council work.
I find myself smirking at the councils decision to give themselves a raise! They are laying employee’s off, taking full time positions and making them part time, and there are more and more town residents losing thier homes to foreclosure, not being able to afford simple necessities because they are losing thier jobs and here, our fine leaders say “Cut the County/Town employee COLA to 1.5 percent, but lets give ourselves raises!!“ What a brilliant idea- and so it is…... Whats next complimentary vehicles and gas cards? What a backwards game plan! They were living just fine before the raises; couldnt they of just waited until the people who SUPPORTED them were taken care of first?!?
It would be too easy to criticize this, so I won’t. It’s been a decade - let it go. While employees were lucky not to lose our COL and so-called merit all together, I think I will see about $300 more per year with the 1.25 COL. My power company raised 16%—I can’t keep up. I always give 100% to my position, but have never gotten the 4% so-called merit. Now, for 100%, I probably won’t get 2% because they’ve altered the scale - so people who would earn 3% or more—might get 1.5-75%. Such is life. It will get better and will be a lot more bearable if we work together and don’t shred each other in blogs.
What about the Department of Social Services who gave themselves a 40% raise last year?????
Hello My name is Yowell Meadows Park
can I get some og that money you got to fix my skating ramps? I am sure you will help?
Hello my name is Yowell Meadow Park Skating Ramps
Can I borrow some of that raise to fix my ramps - I am sure you will help me?
Diego DeCastro US Army ret
It probably is time for Town Council to get a raise. Increases in population, sewer and water issues, consolidation with the County have certainly caused more work for them but maybe with the economy where it is this was just bad timing. With people losing their jobs and be unable to afford their homes, it is a bit of a slap in the face.
One would think the Mayor, or the council, would wait until all Council members are present to vote on this issue. I’m sure its one the citizens would want to see their councilmen’s position on.
Why not wait until all are present? A 4-2 vote with three absent?
Is this what you would call the fox in the hen house???? Budget woes but they can always find money for themselves. Aren’t these the guys that have caused the problems in Culpeper? Too much expansion not enough infacture. Problems with water and so on….don’t worry if we build more the water will come….from tankers :>>>>>>>
Well I have always said the cuts for the budget should start at the top. It looks like our Mayor and Town Council feel they are above all the Town staff and employees. This is just a disgrace but not a surprise it is so easy to justify it has been ten years well so what you have spent thousands on junk surveys and stupid reports and then you CUT the very people who bring in the money Where is the lodgic in this. Being on Council is a service to your Community and you knew you were not going to have a large paycheck when you ran. I was always told your pay was just to off set your gas and meals and not pay your house payment or car payment. This is just selfishness on your part. Greed will get you nowhere.
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