The trustees adopted another ordinance May 8, 2009, setting the salary for the trustees at $550 per month, the mayor at $650 per month and the town clerk/treasurer at $450 per month.

Trustees Matt Myers, Sonny Tipkin and Dennis Berton voted for the measure. Horne voted no.

If the state constitution is followed and no other ordinances are found, only Berton, who was elected April 7, 2009, could legally receive salary as a trustee or mayor. Berton would be covered by the ordinance passed May 8, 2007.

Two council members to be chosen in a July 14 special election would fall under the ordinance adopted May 8, 2009, Moore said.

Dwyer said it is possible there are some ordinances not on file at the Town Hall, that she is not certain all the records that were at the old Town Hall were moved to the new facility last year.

She said she did find an ordinance from several years ago setting the town clerk/treasurer salary at $450 per month, the same as it is today.

When she filed for and was elected to the job, she thought the salary was $1,100 per month, Dwyer said. That is what her predecessor, LaVon Johnson was paid. Johnson had been appointed clerk/treasurer after the death of her husband, who had held the position. LaVon Johnson drew the same pay as her husband.

Town records show, however, that $450 of his pay was for the clerk/treasurer’s job and the balance was for an extra-duty contract under which he did mowing and other maintenance work, Dwyer said.

Had she known the clerk/treasurer’s job paid so little, she might not have sought the office, Dwyer said.

Moore said there is no limit as to how far back investigators may go in determining whether there were illegally paid salaries.

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