Fort Wayne Council Votes Down 3% Pay Raise

It wasn't a big raise that the lame duck Fort Wayne council proposed for next year's council members, but when you're already the highest paid council members in the state, a pay raise at any time doesn't look good. The three percent pay raise proposed for Fort Wayne's council members was defeated when council members deadlocked 4-4 on the vote. Outgoing council member, Mitch Harper, was absent for the vote. Fort Wayne's nine council members currently earn $22,279 a year for their part-time jobs. The council approved 2% pay raises for Mayor Tom Henry and City Clerk Lana Keesling. The mayor currently earns $128,593, while the clerk earns $77,946.

UPDATE: Just for clarification purposes, Fort Wayne council members do not receive an additional per diem payment for attending council meetings. Indianapolis council members will earn pretty close to what Fort Wayne council members earn when you factor in the approximately $5,000 in additional pay they receive from per diem pay. Indianapolis council members voted to raise their base pay 43% from $11,400 to $16,400. With per diem pay, most Indianapolis council members will earn more than $21,000 for their part-time jobs. Also, Indianapolis has a 25-member council compared to Fort Wayne's 9-member council.