Raising Pay Invests in Leadership

By Jeff Jobe, Community Publisher/JPI

Raising the salary of an elected official is always a sensitive subject—especially when filing deadlines are approaching. But recent findings from a Taylor & Polson Company city audit suggest that our current officials’ belief that they deserve more may be less about fairness and more about flawed process.

This marks the second time The Barren County Progress (BCP) has had to report on questionable or illegal methods of increasing compensation for Glasgow’s elected officials.

Years ago, the BCP alone uncovered that the Glasgow City Council had been providing themselves—and the city attorney, an independent contractor—with full-time health benefits without an open discussion or vote, as required by law. Records showed that practice had quietly continued since the mid-1980s.

The administration at that time didn’t wait for an audit to act. Once we exposed the issue, they placed it on the agenda, voted publicly, and ended the practice—saving the city tens of thousands of dollars each year. That decision led to a near mass exodus of council members the following election cycle.

As before, the BCP’s intent wasn’t to harm anyone but to ensure transparency and legality in how taxpayer dollars are spent. The latest audit reveals that the current council passed along significant pay increases for several employees and the elected position of mayor.

We believe that when any taxpayer budget includes employee raises of up to 39% in a single year, it should, at a minimum, comply with both the law and ethical transparency.

To be clear, we support raising the mayor’s salary. The position is full-time, and the mayor should indeed be the city’s highest-paid employee. However, such increases must be done properly—openly, and before the election cycle begins.

The Case for a Fair Adjustment

The current salary for Glasgow’s mayor is outdated, reflecting a time when the office’s demands were far fewer. Today’s mayor must lead in economic development, crisis management, and state and federal compliance. Failing to compensate the position accordingly devalues that service and limits the field to those with private means.

Competitive pay attracts qualified, dedicated candidates—people who can afford to devote themselves fully to the job. Setting a fair, market-based salary for the next term ensures that voters, not incumbents, decide who benefits. This approach removes suspicion of self-enrichment and aligns with state law, which requires that any pay change take effect in the next term.

A Responsible, Transparent Path Forward

A modern salary adjustment—based on comparable cities, inflation, and internal pay scales—creates fairness and restores public confidence. Several department heads currently earn more than the mayor, an imbalance that undermines the city’s leadership structure.

Now is the time to fix that. Doing so would not only follow the law but also signal integrity, transparency, and respect for the voters’ right to decide.

By acting now, Glasgow can invest in our leadership!