Chelsea approves change to form of government, increase to future council pay

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

CHELSEA – The Chelsea City Council approved ordinances to change the city’s form of government and make amendments to the salary of its future mayor and city council members during a meeting on Tuesday, July 16.

During the meeting, the Council unanimously approved an ordinance to change the city’s form of government to meet with Alabama code after the growth it has seen.

After cities in Alabama surpass a population of 12,000, the mayor no longer sits on the council or has voting power on the council and instead has veto power. Most of Chelsea’s surrounding municipalities have already moved on to this form of government, including Alabaster, Pelham and Helena.

The change to the city’s form of government would have automatically gone into effect following the 2025 election given Chelsea’s population size if the Council chose not to take any action. However, the Council approached the change with an ordinance to take a proactive approach to prepare and inform the public.

A first reading was held for the ordinance on June 18 with a second reading on July 2. The change to the city’s form of government will go into effect with the establishment of the next Chelsea City Council following the 2025 election.

During the July 16 meeting, the Chelsea City Council also approved an ordinance to amend the salary of elected officials which will also go into effect following the 2025 election. A first reading of the ordinance was held on June 18 and a second reading was held on July 2.

“This is something that the Council has been discussing for the last 18 months,” Councilmember Cody Sumners said. “Recently, Councilman (Scott) Weygand and myself reached out to other municipalities and obtained their compensation packages for the mayor and council. The proposed ordinance we’re voting on brings Chelsea in line with surrounding cities and other cities around the state that are already under the same form of local government that we just discussed we will be going under after the next election.”

Specifically, the approved ordinance reduces the mayor’s package from $81,000 to $66,000 annually. Additionally, the pay for city council members will increase from $600 per month to $1,000 per month with the mayor pro tempore increasing from $700 to $1,250.

Part of the reasoning previously shared behind the pay changes for the city’s elected leaders is due to the increased responsibilities of the members of the City Council following the change to its system of government and the decreased responsibilities of the mayor.

All councilmembers were present and voted in favor of the ordinance with the exception of Mayor Tony Picklesimer who voted no.

“Preparation for the city council is such a small part of my job, I didn’t think it was appropriate to cut the mayors compensation package,” Picklesimer said. “It’s not going to affect me, it doesn’t go into effect until my term’s up. So, it’s not a personal thing.”

Picklesimer said that he would have been fine with the mayor’s pay being “flat” or staying at its current level.

“It’s not what the Council wanted and we’re not always going to agree on everything but we’ve still got business with the city of Chelsea to conduct,” Picklesimer said.

In other news, the Chelsea City Council approved a resolution to award education grant funds to Chelsea High School to equip a concession stand which will be available for use by all student-athletes.

“This is (for) new cooking equipment for the new concession stand (at) the new field house that sits by the new grandstand,” Picklesimer said. “All that happens because of these people right here—to my right and left—and I appreciate that.”

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