The Senoia

City Council is discussing a proposal that could soon

raise the mayor's salary more than 500 percent.

The pay

raise would jump the mayor's salary from $6,000 a year to

$40,000 a year, but would just be a temporary raise, said

city councilman Judy Belisle.

The unique

salary structure proposal was discussed at Monday night's

City Council meeting after the council reached an impasse

on hiring a city manager.

The council

had narrowed the field to two candidates, but said

efforts to hire the candidates were not successful

because of a "conflict of interest."

With

several large projects looming in the near future,

including the construction of a sewer system, the city is

debating whether to make the mayor's position full-time

for at least six months to help the city deal with the

complexities of the project.

Before the

debate on the salary raise started, Mayor Joan Trammell

excused herself from the meeting and Belisle chaired the

issue in her position as mayor pro-tempore.

The council

seemed eager to approve the issue, but city attorney Kemp

Wright explained an ordinance would have to be created

and advertised before the council could raise the salary.

Belisle

said the council discussed raising the salary and making

the mayor full-time because Trammell has already had two

years experience and knows how to deal with some of the

government agencies.

But with

this being an election year and Trammell up for

re-election, the council was wary that discussing such a

large salary raise might cause a stampede to the

qualifying booth who might not be qualified and trying to

win the race just for the money.

"They

could really screw the city," said Belisle.

The council

ultimately decided to table the issue and will discuss it

once again at next Monday's meeting after qualifying has

ended. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at City Hall.