Yuma voters can vote on pay raise for mayor and council members

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Voters in the City of Yuma will once again be asked if the mayor and city council members should get a raise.

A group of community members proposed the new amendment after Prop 420 failed to pass last year.

Yuma local Patrick Cooley was one of the committee members who helped push for the pay raise.

"I was really kind of appalled at how low yuma was compared to the rest of the state," said committee member and CEO Keithly-Williams Seeds Patrick Cooley.

If it's passed this year, the amendment would raise the mayor's salary from $12,000 to $45,000 a year.

City council members currently make $3,600 dollars a year. That would go up to $25,000 a year.

The mayor shares why the raises are needed.

"Those were set back 30-40 years ago which seemed to make sense at that time. Like everything else, salaries have changed, costs have changed, other cities around the state of Arizona have also changed their pay for their mayor and council," said Yuma mayor Doug Nicholls. "The new proposed salaries would catch Yuma up to what's roughly the average."

There will be a special election on November 5 for locals to vote on the amendment.