OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The town of Old Orchard Beach is considering approving the first pay raise for town councilors in more than two decades.

The Town Council is comprised of five members, including a chairman who has a vote on the council.

The current annual stipend for town councilors is $1,200 for the chairman and $1,000 for the other four.

This rate of pay was voted in by the Town Council in 1995, according to information from the town. The touncil is now considering increasing the stipend to $2,500 for the council chairman and $2,000 for the other four town councilors, beginning in 2019.

The Town Council unanimously voted Tuesday night, with Councilor Shawn O’Neill absent, to set a public hearing date of May 16 for residents to comment on the proposal. The council will then vote on the proposal at a later date.

At a Town Council workshop last month, O’Neill said he’s had several discussions with other councilors as to how minimal the stipend is compared to the amount of time council members put into the position.

He said he didn’t think it was appropriate for the those currently sittting on the council to approve an increase in the stipend to take effect during their term and essentially give themselves a raise, and other council members agreed with him.

Councilors decided if they were to vote on an increase in the stipend, the stipend would be approved beginning November 2019, so it would go into effect after the current term of all sitting councilors is over.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.