A Birmingham city councilor's effort to rein in salaries for all council members was turned away for the second time Tuesday. But she says she has only begun to fight.A few weeks ago, Councilor Kim Rafferty tried to introduce an ordinance that would link councilor pay to the median household income in Birmingham. That's about $32,000 a year -- a far cry from the $50,000 they voted to give council members starting in 2017.Rafferty said Council President Johnathan Austin is trying to kill her idea.“First, I love Councilor Rafferty. No, I'm not trying to kill any legislation she or any other council member is trying to bring before us,” Austin said.Austin said he just wants the City Council to have a discussion about the proposal that would cut council pay from the approved $50,000 to $32,000.“Next week, we will probably vote to send it to a committee,” Austin said.“I will not allow it to go to committee because that's where things go to die,” Rafferty said.She insists that reducing council pay is not only fairer to taxpayers, but will attract a better class of new council candidates.“The amount of people who said they were going to run because they were going to get a $50,000 paycheck in the next council is actually going to taint the pool of valuable people running for office,” she said.Other councilors, including Sheila Tyson, say they work hard for every penny they earn and oppose any move to cut the next council's pay.Lawmakers in Montgomery are a pushing a bill that would require 30 days’ notice by all Alabama cities before any council pay raises would go into effect. This would void the $50,000 salary that councilors voted on last year.

A Birmingham city councilor's effort to rein in salaries for all council members was turned away for the second time Tuesday. But she says she has only begun to fight.

A few weeks ago, Councilor Kim Rafferty tried to introduce an ordinance that would link councilor pay to the median household income in Birmingham. That's about $32,000 a year -- a far cry from the $50,000 they voted to give council members starting in 2017.




Rafferty said Council President Johnathan Austin is trying to kill her idea.



“First, I love Councilor Rafferty. No, I'm not trying to kill any legislation she or any other council member is trying to bring before us,” Austin said.



Austin said he just wants the City Council to have a discussion about the proposal that would cut council pay from the approved $50,000 to $32,000.



“Next week, we will probably vote to send it to a committee,” Austin said.



“I will not allow it to go to committee because that's where things go to die,” Rafferty said.



She insists that reducing council pay is not only fairer to taxpayers, but will attract a better class of new council candidates.



“The amount of people who said they were going to run because they were going to get a $50,000 paycheck in the next council is actually going to taint the pool of valuable people running for office,” she said.



Other councilors, including Sheila Tyson, say they work hard for every penny they earn and oppose any move to cut the next council's pay.



Lawmakers in Montgomery are a pushing a bill that would require 30 days’ notice by all Alabama cities before any council pay raises would go into effect. This would void the $50,000 salary that councilors voted on last year.

