The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“What is that, a fruit computer?”
By Kendra Walker
The new Mt. Crested Butte town council members who will be elected this November have some new compensation perks to look forward to. The current council has decided to add a $500 per year technology stipend for each council member, and the mayor pro tem will receive an additional $100 a month.
This compensation change will only be effective to council members elected in future terms, starting with those taking office come November. Over the last several months, the council has discussed the possibility of adding some extra benefits to council members’ compensation in an effort to encourage more participation and interest in the position for future elections. The council agreed to the compensation updates during their October 1 meeting, and approved the first reading of the ordinance at their October 15 meeting.
Currently, council members receive $700 and the mayor gets paid $1,200 per month. The council agreed that because the mayor pro tem attends some extra meetings with the mayor each month and runs regular council meetings when the mayor cannot attend, that position should receive extra compensation.
“It’s a time commitment for whoever that person is going to be,” said council member Steve Morris. “There is value in this expanded role that pro tem has taken on.”
Council member Janet Farmer is currently mayor pro tem, and she is not running for re-election. “It’s very helpful to have her there as a second set of ears,” said mayor Nicholas Kempin, who is running for re-election. There are four open seats this election, and once the new council is elected the council will appoint a new mayor and mayor pro tem.
The council agreed that the next mayor pro tem will receive $800 a month.
The council also agreed to a $500 per month technology stipend for each council member, as many use computers or tablets for council business. The town has issued tablets to council members in the past, but everyone agreed they would like the flexibility to choose their own equipment based on their personal technology preferences.
Kempin borrowed council member Roman Kolodziej’s Macbook during the October 1 meeting, commenting, “What is that, a fruit computer?”
The council had previously discussed the possibility of including council members on the town’s health insurance plan as an added benefit, but ultimately decided not to pursue that avenue at this time.
Farmer noted that when comparing Mt. Crested Butte council compensation to other small Colorado towns with similar populations, according to Colorado Municipal League (CML) reports, Mt. CB fares well as far as council pay.
