Following weeks of one salary proposal after another being debated among the Douglasville mayor and city council, a consensus may have been reached in time for a March 18 vote.

The city council voted last week at a special called meeting to authorize advertising its intention to vote on a possible pay increase March 18.

Public hearings must be advertised during a three-week period prior to the council taking action, according to City Manager Bill Osborne.

A public hearing on the soon-to-be finalized compensation proposal for salary and expenses will be held during the council’s regular work session on March 14 and prior to the vote during the voting council meeting on March 18.

Mayor Harvey Persons and Mayor Pro Tem Larry Yockey were scheduled to meet Friday to “fine tune” the latest proposal which Yockey presented to the council.

The proposal offers two options, both of which would give the mayor a base salary of $39,921 per year.

Option one includes use of the city-owned Chevy Tahoe vehicle, along with car expenses of $500 per month. It would also include a $200 per month gas allowance.

The total car expense under Yockey’s latest proposal would be $8,400 per year.

In option two, the mayor would opt out of use of a city-owned car, but instead would provide $8,400 in expense allowance. Either way, the mayor’s gross salary plus expenses would equal $48,321. City council members would receive $15,068 per year under the latest proposal, which includes legislative work sessions and regular council meetings and $280 per month in expenses.

Additional meetings, including the Downtown Development Authority, the Planning and Development Committee or Georgia Municipal Association, at $150 per meeting, are not included in the base salary. Under this proposal, any additional meetings requested for compensation must be approved by the mayor and council.

City council meetings are now being held in the auditorium of the new Douglasville Conference Center across from City Hall.

Committee meetings, which begin at 5 p.m. prior to work sessions or regular voting meetings at 7:30 p.m., are held in the board room of new conference center.

All are open to the public.