The Westbrook City Council is expected to hold a public hearing Aug. 13 on whether to reduce the city clerk’s pay from $49,000 plus benefits to $5,000.

The move to reduce the clerk’s pay comes a little more than two months after voters rejected changing the clerk’s position from an elected to an appointed one.

City Councilor Ed Symbol, who was a supporter of changing the position to an appointed one, is now backing reducing the salary. Symbol wants the city clerk’s pay to be comparable to what other elected officials earn.

“It’ll still be a job, just not a $60,000 a year job,” Symbol said at Monday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, including the value of the benefits in his number. “It’ll be a $5,000 a year job.”

The debates over changes to the clerk’s position are coming after longtime City Clerk Barbara Hawkes announced she will retire. City officials who are interested in making changes to the position want to do so in advance of the fall elections, so that any changes will leave potential candidates with enough time to decide whether they want to run for the office.

The clerk receives $49,000 salary plus benefits. The city clerk is the only elected official who receives a salary or benefits.

The Committee of the Whole recommended to the council that councilors vote at their meeting Monday to hold a public hearing the following Monday, Aug. 13 – a move made at the suggestion of Councilor Michael Foley.

“The people will see this as a slap in the face in regards to the (May 22 referendum) vote,” Foley said, concerned the council could change the clerk’s pay so soon after the referendum. A public hearing is not required to change elected official’s pay.

Mayor Bruce Chuluda expressed concern at Monday’s meeting that the referendum question had not been framed properly, and that few people know what the compensation for the city clerk is.

The move to reduce the clerk to a stipend position would set up a situation similar to the mayor and city administrator. Mayor Bruce Chuluda receives a stipend of $6,500, while City Administrator Jerre Bryant receives a salary of $103,000.

Symbol would expect the deputy clerk – a hired position – to be a full-time employee who reports to the elected clerk, just as Bryant reports to Chuluda.

Chuluda said on Monday that he “absolutely” supports Symbol’s suggestion.

The move would be expected to save the city money, though no one in the administration knows exactly how it would play out.

“It’d be a work in progress,” said Chuluda. The elected clerk would be expected to devote the appropriate hours to provide the oversight needed for the department. The rest of the work would be picked up by the deputy clerk or other assistants.

“I think you’d be surprised to find the community wants to keep the position paid as it is,” said Councilor John O’Hara, who is against Symbol’s move. O’Hara suggested that a question could be put on November’s ballot. Drew Gattine suggested a non-binding vote could play a part.

The council meets for its next regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday in room 114 of Westbrook High School, where it is expected to call for a public hearing that Chuluda will schedule in a special council meeting on Monday, Aug 13.