Town Election Day moved to November

The Amherst Town Council on Wednesday night changed its election date Wednesday night from spring to fall to coincide with other elections, to reduce the cost but also to increase voter turnout.

The vote means that the town election now will be in November instead of in May in even-number years.

The town paid $1,730 to conduct the 2006 election and $1,679 for the 2008 election, records show.

The town would pay to print its ballots and to advertise the election. But the polling place would be changed. Instead of using Emmanuel United Methodist Church as its polling place, the town will use a county polling place already staffed with election officials.

The vote was 4-0. Council member Haney Mottley was absent.

The council also voted, 4-0, to amend the town charter to remove the salary cap for the mayor and councilmen.

Regarding salaries of the mayor and council members, the salaries were set when the General Assembly approved the charter in 1950, said Town Manager Jack Hobbs. Mayor Jack Bailey is paid $75 per quarter ($300 per year), and council members receive $50 per quarter, or $200 per year. At $200 per year, thats a rate of $16.66 per month.

A 2007 survey of 34 towns with similar-size populations within 100 miles showed that the Amherst pay rate is among the lowest.

Council members receive the equivalent of $50 per month in 10 of the towns; they get $100 or more per month in 12 towns; mayors receive $100 to $200 per month in 15 towns and more than $200 per month in seven towns.

The author of the survey, Art Mead of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at UVa, suggested that the Amherst council raise stipends to $50 per months for council members and $100 per month for the mayor.

The town now must ask the General Assembly to approve the amendment.

In other business, the council approved the town’s 2009-10 fiscal year budget, with a general fund of nearly $1.6 million in revenues, which is nearly 4 percent lower than the current budget. No taxes were increased.

That includes projected revenues of about $560,000 in fees, the same amount projected for the current budget, and $210,000 in meal and beverage tax revenues.

Also, it includes $64,000 in real estate taxes, slightly less than projected for the current budget, and $105,000 in business license taxes.

The council also accepted a low bid of $337,735 for a sewer infrastructure project.