Have any elected in Districts 3,4, or 5 in the city of Monroe traveled through south Monroe? Southside residents are still waiting for their share of tax dollars. Many topics need to be addressed, but the most pressing questions Monroe city council members and mayor should answer is what they have done for south Monroe. Southside residents expect more than empty promises this time. There is a way for change to happen, and residents are growing increasingly weary of the lip service only given when there is an election cycle.

It is as if area politicians either don't visit the Southside or turn on blinders when it comes to the community that deserves the most attention. If nothing is done to aid south Monroe, current elected officials will face stiff criticism, especially from voters! As expected, there was plenty to say about the possibility of Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis and city council members receiving a pay raise soon. During the Tuesday, February 28, 2023 city council meeting, a resolution was presented for the mayor and council members to receive a pay increase. Before various concerned citizens voiced their opinions, it was made clear that present council members and the mayor would be getting a hefty pay increase weeks from now if the resolution is passed. City of Monroe Media Relations Manager Michelli Martin said in a statement days before the council meeting that there had not been a raise for mayor and council members since 2003. Martin asserted the raise was recommended in order to keep up with inflation. Martin was quick to point out that Mayor Ellis “was not a part” of the process, nor did he “have any idea” on what was going on during the council meeting.

The first resolution for council consideration was to give future council members a pay raise and did not get an immediate second. The resolution was made by Councilwoman Gretchen Ezernack, as she said, for “introductory” purposes only. Kenya Robertson asked the council to explain the metrics of how the 45% increase in salary was figured. Robertson made it clear that it was not personal against the mayor or council but wanted an understanding of how the figure was determined. That is what Martin said in her statement, not to make Ellis the focus of the raise. There were those who believed that any future mayor of Monroe should have the pay increase because there are mayors of smaller cities making as much as Ellis is paid. Though the first consideration/proposal was about council members’ raises, most of the focus centered on Mayor Ellis. One person said that if an individual(speaking exclusively to council members) said that one hadn’t received a pay raise in 23 years, maybe it was time to find another job. Another individual noted that council members deserve the raise because the work that they do is “full-time work for part-time pay”.

The central focus appeared to be on Ellis, as an individual noted that this raise is brought before council members, even though Ellis has been in office a little over two years. The city's chief operating officer said the idea came from him and the mayor’s executive staff, noting that Ellis had no part in the matter. Council members and those in attendance were told that the salaries now have not kept up with inflation, nor are the salaries paid for an executive(Ellis) in a major city, as Monroe is one. Pay raise comments were not limited to the mayor and council members, as there were concerns if other city employees could hope to see a pay raise in the future too. It is only fair to adjust wages for the majority of city employees if there is a consideration for the city representatives.

One can only hope that the pendulum will swing both ways and there will be swift conversation on leveling compensation to "match inflation" for city employees not part of the executive staff. The administration is always speaking of ways to attract people to the city of Monroe, and that can undoubtedly start with higher, more competitive compensation to retain the people who keep the city afloat instead of losing employees to larger cities.

Council members have much to think about over the next couple of weeks.