The Little Rock Board of Directors plans to vote today on the parameters for outgoing Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola's retirement benefits.
The ordinance itself was not available Monday, but a summary in the meeting's agenda states that it would also provide benefits for Stodola's wife if he predeceases her. City Attorney Tom Carpenter said the ordinance was still being drafted Monday afternoon.
Carpenter said the ordinance is meant to put the mayor's retirement benefits in line with a defined benefit plan other city employees switched to in 2014.
Stodola's salary and benefits are set by an ordinance that voters approved in 2007.
Ordinance No. 19761, which was passed during Stodola's first term, makes the office of the mayor a full-time position with authority over issues including preparation of the city budget, as well as veto power. The ordinance states that the mayor "shall be compensated with a salary and benefit package comparable to the highest ranking municipal official."
Stodola's salary is $160,000; the mayor was paid $36,000 annually when Stodola campaigned for the office. City Manager Bruce Moore's salary is $189,240, according to the Democrat-Gazette online salary database.
The terms of Moore's employment contract also state that he receives 25 paid days off annually and that he will collect up to 400 hours of paid time off the day he terminates his employment with the city, regardless of the reason for such a termination.
Stodola has said that he uses minimal vacation days and works on city business around the clock.
He noted in an interview last month that he did not believe the city was following its own ordinance since his pay was lower than Moore's, but he said he was not seeking a pay raise.
Today's board meeting is a regularly scheduled agenda meeting, which take place every other week at 4 p.m., but city directors are also reconvening last week's recessed voting meeting, so there are several items to be voted on. Most of those items did not appear on an agenda for the Dec. 3 meeting.
Metro on 12/11/2018