BY DAN SCHNMIDT | FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN – A long-sought-after proposal to dramatically increase Auburn City Council member pay is now slated to receive a vote in the coming weeks. The move comes after a slightly divided Auburn City Council on Tuesday advanced the proposal out of its committee of the whole meeting.
If approved at either the council’s July 22 or Aug. 5 meetings, councilors will go from earning $7,200 per year as they currently do to $15,000 per year — a more than 108% increase. The mayor pro tem would receive an even larger pay increase, going from $7,200 per year to $18,000 per year — a 150% increase.
Should the city council vote to approve the resolution, that increase would not go into effect until new councilors are seated following the November 2026 municipal elections. The plan also calls for a 20-year freeze on any further pay raises for Auburn City Council members.
According to Ward 6 Council Member Bob Parsons, who spearheaded efforts to draft a definitive proposal, city councilors in Alabama’s 10 largest cities currently earn $17,122 per year on average, while mayor pro tems earn $24,240 per year on average.
Parsons also justified the pay increase proposal by mentioning the fact that the Auburn City Council has not received a pay raise since 2006, and Opelika city councilors earn over $13,000 per year.
Mayor Ron Anders, who has served as either Ward 2 council member or mayor since 2012, also advocated for the pay increase. His argument hinged on the explosion of growth Auburn has experienced over the past 20 years and the increased complexity of managing the city’s affairs.
“This has not been discussed or changed since 2006. In 2006, the population of this city was a little over 50,000. The 2010 census had us at about 54,000 [residents]. And today, I would comfortably stand in front of any group and say that our population is around 84-85,000. That’s 30,000 more citizens living in Auburn,” Anders said. “I believe the council deserves to be paid more than they’re paid now. Their job is more involved, and there are more people to see and to talk to.”
However, not all councilors were convinced. Despite there being a broad consensus amongst other members, Ward 2 Council Member Kelley Griswold and Ward 8 Council Member Tommy Dawson opposed the plan.
Dawson told his fellow council members that the satisfaction public service brings should be enough and that the city has already paid him in other ways.
“I take this job very seriously. I was born and raised here in Auburn. I raised a daughter here. The good folks of Auburn gave me a job in the police department for 26 years, and they elected me to three different terms,” Dawson said. “I have nothing against y’all who want a raise, but I’m not in favor [of a raise]. I’d do this for free. I love what Auburn has done for me, and it’s my pleasure to serve.”
Griswold, long a budget hawk on the council, echoed Dawson’s sentiments and said the city should not take other cities’ councilors’ compensation into account.
“There are a lot of comparisons to other cities, but we’re not other cities. And frankly, I don’t care what other cities do. I think Auburn is special, and we’re unique,” Griswold said. “I don’t really want someone representing me who is incentivized by money. So I do not think this is necessary at this time.”
While the potential resolution is not on any meeting agenda yet, it must be voted on before February 2026 for it to take effect after the municipal elections later that year.
In other news, the council resolved several other items of business:
The council approved a $1.6 million tax abatement for SCA, Inc. The company plans to hire 13 new employees and invest $19.6 million over the next two years.
The council approved a $90,391 infrastructure development agreement with Allen Turner Automotive Holdings for improvements at the intersection of Shell Toomer Parkway and Mill Creek Road.
The council approved a $123,157 infrastructure development agreement with Domain Timberlake Multistate and Clayton Properties Group for improvements at the intersection of Shell Toomer Parkway and Mill Creek Road.
The council approved a $147,268 contract with FlashParking for a parking access and revenue control system hardware and software for the Wright Street Parking Deck.
The council approved an $8,000 per month contract with LAZ Parking Georgia for management services for the Wright Street Parking Deck.
The council approved a $42,350 contract with INdigital for the renewal of customer support and maintenance for the 911 call handling system.
The council appointed Haven Duff and Konnie Pace to the Auburn Downtown Redevelopment Authority. Their terms begin on July 19 and end on July 18, 2031.
The council appointed Elizabeth Strain to the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Her supernumerary term begins immediately and ends on Jan. 20, 2028.
The council approved a grant of license agreement with CF RSA for property encroachment in the public alley located between 112 and 116 N. College St. That agreement covers the installation of a new mechanical kitchen vent.
The council accepted a public utility easement from CB&S Bank. That easement is located at 1901 E. Glenn Ave.
The council accepted various public easements CO-BEK Development. Those easements are located at 2240 and 2258 E. University Drive.
The council approved a warrant purchase agreement that designates The Frazer Lanier Company as the underwriter for the Series 2025 warrants. That agreement will help the city finance the design, planning and site work improvements for the second high school.
The council approved a restaurant retail liquor license for Umika, which is located at 339 S. College St., Suite C.
