Welch’s liquor commissioner salary won’t change for now
By Casey Toner ctoner@southtownstar.com June 28, 2012 10:06PM
Updated: July 30, 2012 6:30AM
Try as the Country Club Hills City Council may, Mayor Dwight Welch’s $32,000 liquor commissioner salary isn’t changing anytime soon.
The city council passed a motion during Monday’s meeting that cuts Welch’s liquor commissioner pay to $1. City attorney John Murphy said the motion was invalid since it was not on the posted meeting agenda. But even if it passed properly, any pay cut could not take effect until the next mayoral term in 2015.
Still, the city council may try to approve the change during its July 9 meeting.
Welch’s 2011-2012 $98,000 base salary makes him the Southland’s highest-paid mayor.
Ald. Vincent Lockett (2nd) said none of the city’s neighboring liquor commissioners make close to Welch’s pay. He expects the council to pass the ordinance during its next meeting.
“How much money are you going to make off this small town?” Lockett said. “We have financial problems here in this town. We have to make necessary cuts.”
Welch brushed it off, calling the salary change “political retribution.”
“It’s a waste of time,” Welch said. “Just like the continued political agenda of Lockett and Ald. Steven Burris.”
