I am very pleased with the recent decision to raise the salary of the city of Vancouver mayor and city council. While mired in political falsehoods, the bottom line remains the same: As the fourth-largest city in Washington, we need a full-time mayor. Without a competitive salary, the likelihood of a competent leader who isn’t independently wealthy or retired isn’t practical.
This costs the taxpayers 16 cents a year, and safeguards our town from the likes of Clark County Councilor David Madore being elected. For leadership as effective as Mayor Tim Leavitt’s, I would have gladly paid $1 a year; he’s done more for this town than he’s given credit. Kudos to the salary review commissioners MarCine Miles, Magan Reed and Thomas Hackett for their consideration for the future of Vancouver.
