Amendment to give authority to council to set civil service board compensation

It was in May 2016 that Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow held a public hearing to seek input about a bill raising the pay for Civil Service Board members in Russellville.

A bill to the effect had died during the legislative session when Morrow and Rep. Larry Stutts did not see eye-to-eye on its contents.

Now, a new amendment is on its way to the legislature; an amendment that, if passed, will give the city council authority to set compensation for civil service board members.

In May, Morrow said the original raise proposed to him was from $200 to $300, to which he committed his support. When the bill came to him for approval in session, he found that Stutts had changed it to allow the city council complete authority over setting the rate. Morrow said he amended it to reflect the original agreement, but without Stutts’ approval, the bill died without making it to the house for a vote.

The proposed change in the bill is worded thusly: “Members of the board shall receive compensation each month for their services on the board in an amount to be set by the city council” instead of the former “Members of the board shall receive two hundred dollars ($200) per month for their service to the board.”

The proposed amendment will go through a notice period before going to a vote in the House and Senate. Morrow said the amendment has his support.