All tagged robert swinson
The Kinston City Council passed the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget Tuesday evening. The budget included increased salaries for the mayor and the city council and funding to increase the hourly rate of part-time city employees. This was the third year in a row the council attempted to give themselves increased salaries. Council member Robbie Swinson voted against the increased mayor and council salaries both times it came for a vote Tuesday.
Chris J. Suggs will join the Kinston City Council after getting the most votes in the race. Incumbent Robert Swinson IV will retain his seat on the Kinston City Council. Michael Martin came in third with Les Lipford and James T. Sparks, Jr. following.
On June 15, 2021, Kinston’s City Council voted to approve the proposed 2021-2022 budget, which included a four-cent property tax increase. The budget did not include the proposed salary increase for the city council members or the mayor. During the meeting, Councilmember Robert Swinson made a motion to remove the salary increases from the proposed budget, which was seconded by Solomon. The motion passed with Solomon, Swinson, and Councilmember Kristal Suggs voting for the budget without the salary increases, and Councilmembers Antonio Hardy and Sammy Aiken voting against it.
“I will sleep well tonight knowing that we made the right decision to not approve the salary increase for the Council,” said Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Solomon.
The Kinston City Council met for a Budget Worksession on May 24, 2021, wherein a four-to-one vote they approved their own salary increase of $18,000 total per year and the mayor’s $3,600 per year raise ahead of the June 15th City Council meeting. The City of Kinston is expected to increase property taxes by $0.04 per $100 valuation at that meeting.
As this was a budget work session, there is no video of the off-site meeting, but an audio recording is attached. This vote was the only one taken during the four-hour budget meeting. During the same session, the previously reported dry-cleaning allowance line item was removed by the consensus of the mayor and board.
