ABBEVILLE — Abbeville Mayor Roslyn White has decided to reject a proposed pay increase that would have raised her annual salary to $90,000. Currently earning $79,000 since assuming office in July 2022, White informed city council members on Wednesday morning of her decision to decline the suggested raise.
According to our partners with the Abbeville Meridional Earlier this month, during discussions on the proposed 2024 operating budget, Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. proposed a salary increase for the mayor, citing higher earnings for some other city officials and employees. Touchet advocated for the mayor to be the city's highest-paid employee, noting that Abbeville Chief of Police Mike Hardy earns $85,000 annually.
White expressed gratitude for the logic behind the proposal and the council's desire to increase the mayor's pay. However, she emphasized that she considers the suggested raise inappropriate. While acknowledging the position's underpayment, White stated that she accepted the job with full knowledge of the pay and is committed to fulfilling her duties at the current amount.
In the short term, White expressed a preference for directing additional funds towards planning efforts and supporting projects that contribute to positive change in the community. She emphasized her willingness to reevaluate the mayor's compensation in the future as the city progresses but highlighted that, for now, the council's support and the community's trust are more significant to her than a salary increase.
White reiterated her appreciation for the working relationship with the council and thanked them for respecting her decision. She emphasized the strength of the team's commitment to the vision of improving the community and expressed confidence in continued evaluation of the mayor's position in subsequent years.
