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On Tuesday night, the LaGrange City Council heard the first reading of a new ordinance that would change the compensation of the LaGrange mayor from $12,000 to $20,000 a year, effective January 2022.

The new salary for the mayor will not go into place until after the next mayor is elected in November 2021.

Councilman Mark Mitchell noted that he wanted this change because of how much work LaGrange Mayor Jim Thornton puts into the position.

“Our mayor has gone above and beyond what is required of him,” Mitchell said. “The fact that the city calls on your legal experience quite often to assist. It is a bonus to citizens of LaGrange.”

Mitchell added that the ordinance request was done against Mayor Jim Thornton’s wishes.

“This was done against his will, and I want everybody to know that, but I feel like that it is the right thing to do,” Mitchell said. “I feel like it will give you a little bit more compensation for the amount of work you do.”

Councilman Tim Gore said the council has thought about changing the ordinance in the past.

“I think it was something we maybe should have done back then,” Gore said. “Absolutely, it should be done. The amount of time that he puts in representing the city in so many different functions and that will be required of any mayor and every mayor. It just makes us realize how important that is and how valuable it is, so I’m going to be fully supportive of what Councilmember Mitchell is proposing.”

Thornton said he appreciates the sentiment but still discouraged the ordinance change.