"More Pay" Hot Topic Among Las Animas City Council at Special Meeting

~Anne Boswell

"We do it for the community, it's part of our civic duty!"

Las Animas City Council member Rocky Quintanilla spoke out at a special call meeting for Las Animas City Council, Wednesday night. The meeting was called for a first reading of an ordinance to increase the pay for council and the Mayor of Las Animas.

Discussion on the first reading was unified across council with concerns of fiscal responsibility. Council member Jesse Garcia voiced concerns.

"We're sitting here throwing dollars at trying to get a police department in and you're wanting to double city council's pay and then pay you $25 dollars an hour and we don't even know where we are with a police department yet."

Garcia finished the thought that he is worried it would be setting the city up to fall apart.

Several council members agreed that serving on council isn't for the money. After hours phone calls and texts continually come in with community concerns such as motor homes on the highway among other things. The civic duty is why they do it, they mostly all said in unison.

Quintanilla was a strong voice in this.

"We all knew when we ran for office what the salary was and the hours that we have to put in."

Mayor Charles Shupe told council he feels that he does a lot and while he knew that was part of the job, a lot less would be done if he didn't put in the hours and only showed up for meetings.

According to State Statute which govern compensation.. Pay is set by ordinance of the city/town council. Raises cannot take effect during the current term of the elected official. Any increase only applies after the next election, when a new term begins. This keeps elected officials from giving themselves a pay raise while in office.

Council agreed to meet two weeks from the night of the first reading as required by law, for the second reading. At the second reading, the public will have a chance to voice their concerns and opinions. The next meeting is scheduled for October 1st at 5pm. It will be live streamed on Facebook but the public is encouraged to attend.

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