Chester City Council To Vote On Salary Reduction For Elected Officials

CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) - Chester City Council is poised to take a preliminary vote tonight on a plan to cut their own salaries, along with that of the mayor, as the city asks unionized workers to make sacrifices of their own. The plan's sponsor isn't so sure his colleagues will go along with the idea.

Mayor Wendell Butler makes $46,000 a year. Council members make $40,000. Councilman Shepard Garner suggests they each give back $5,000. Why? Well, they have a tentative deal with white and blue-collar Teamsters to reduce health care costs and they're seeking givebacks from police and fire fighters.

"I think that we should start from the top in asking mayor and council to give some concessions."

Such a move would not only be symbolic, it would help a little in getting Chester out from under state oversight of it's operations. Garner's not willing to predict how the vote on tonight's first reading of his proposal will go. Should it fail, he could bring it up again at some point.

Reported by David Madden, KYW Newsradio