SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — The mayor of South Fulton is getting backlash over his plan to almost double his salary.
Mayor Khalid Kamau is proposing boosting his yearly pay from about $47,000 to $85,000. One councilwoman insists resident are livid about the plan saying 94 percent of those surveyed don’t support it.
Some taxpayers wondered are employees getting raises too. “If you are looking out for yourself. You have to look out for everybody,” one woman explained.
Others kept pointing out it is a part-time position.
“He accepted the job, a part-time job, at that salary. It is what it is. The salary should remain the same,” resident Rosalyn Green said.
“Residents are livid,” District 3 Councilwoman Helen Zenobia Willis said. She put out a survey on the pay increase proposal because she thought taxpayers did not know about it. 94% opposed the idea.
Willis says $85,000 is a full-time salary.
“If the state charter says we are part-time, then we cannot go pay ourselves a full-time salary. That would be fiscally irresponsible.”
Ed Lee says $85,000 is a lot of money.
“Seems like a lot of money for a part-time position. Especially in a city where we’re really trying to focus on the budget.”
Mayor Khalid is also proposing taxpayers reimburse elected leaders for their tuition. Willis thinks that ordinance would only benefit the mayor.
The council will vote at Welcome All Park on the proposals November 12 at 7 p.m.
Mayor Khalid Kamau has had a turbulent record with the council since being appointed in January 2022. Shortly after being appointed, he called for three of his coworkers to immediately resign.
In March 2023, the council called for his resignation accusing him of violating the city charter several times and leaked confidential information to the public.
In July 2023, he was charged with criminal trespass and first-degree burglary for trespassing on a personal property he called his “dream house”.