The City of Fairfax came into compliance with Virginia and federal laws with several issues at the city council meeting Tuesday, June 11, before a sparse audience consisting of the Boy Scouts in troop 1000 out of Burke, and local political participant Gerry O'Dell.
The scouts were earning their badge toward citizenship in the community as well as the communications badge. Mayor John Mason, who was chairing the second to last official meeting, took time to explain certain parts of the meeting to the scouts. Agenda item 5 is a consistent part of the meetings where anyone can voice a concern having to do with the operations of the city.
"It's the opportunity to express any concerns to the council," Mason explained.
When Mason introduced agenda item 7b which was a compliance issue about the ordinance to amend retirement plan for public safety employees, O'Dell took his three minutes and voiced his concern with part of the ordinance that dealt with income for beneficiaries. He wanted an explanation of "beneficiaries."
"I'm not in favor of conforming to some other government ruling if they're immoral," he said.
Mason referred him to a federal government office to voice his complaint but not the council. They were only complying with a current federal requirement.
O'DELL MAKES the council meetings part of his regular agenda. He ran for a seat on the council recently and enjoys taking part in the political process.
"The citizens should come and participate. Some of the best entertainment is found, not in the movie theaters, but in public meetings. I'm trying to see that good decisions are made and I'm not deterred by the fact that I'm ignored most times," he said.
Councilman Anthony Coughlan, who was also in his final council duties, proposed raising the salaries of the Mayor and council. Currently, the mayor has an annual salary of $6,000 and council is paid $4,500. Coughlan proposed raising the mayor's pay to $7,500 and the council to $6,000. They postponed the matter, which will have to go through the process of hearings, and other administrative steps. After it's put through the official process, a salary increase will not be effective until July 2004.
"Any raise that the council votes for can come into appliance only on the election of next council," Mason said.
New council members, Joan Cross, Gail Lyons and Patrice Winter were at the meeting as well. They get sworn in, along with the new mayor Rob Lederer and the school board on June 27.
"We come every week," said Lyons.