Council votes to draft ordinance raising mayoral position salary to match council for next term

The Talladega City Council on March 9 instructed the city attorney and manager to prepare an ordinance to raise the mayoral position’s salary to be equivalent to the city council’s salary for the term starting in 2027. Council President Dickerson put the motion on the floor and said the change would be enacted by ordinance rather than by adjusting an individual’s pay.

The city manager had earlier distributed a roughly 35‑page report reviewing comparable pay in nearby cities; the report found no exact matches to Talladega’s council‑manager form of government. During discussion the city attorney noted that salary changes for the mayor must be adopted by ordinance and that the council cannot change its own or the mayor’s pay for sitting officials, only for future terms.

Council President Dickerson moved to draft the ordinance; the motion was seconded and carried, reported in the meeting as carrying 3–2. Dickerson directed staff to prepare the ordinance for the next meeting so the change, if approved, would take effect for officials elected to serve in 2027.

The motion focused on the position’s salary rather than any current officeholder’s pay. Council members repeatedly emphasized that the council’s action would apply to the office going forward and not to incumbents. The council did not adopt the ordinance at the March 9 meeting; the motion was to draft and bring back ordinance language for formal consideration.