Gateway — There’s a new mayor in Gateway for the first time in two decades. W. David White, 65, a retiredtruck driver, won election in November. Since the first of the year, he’s been educating himself on the roles of the job.

White’s wife, Teri M. White, 56, was elected to the CityCouncil. She previously served the city as city recorder “off and on” foreight years, she said. Both David and Teri sought election to the Council four years ago, but were not elected. He was a council member, a seat to which he was appointed, for two years before seeking re-election.

“I’m a 24-hour-a-day mayor,” David said, explaining that he has forwarded the city phone to ring at his house. He said he has just recently contracted for a cell phone specifically for the city.

There are two employees for the city - one is the city maintenance which includes care of the park and the other is street maintenance.

Sherry Robinette was recently elected city recorder.

The council members are not paid, although both Whites said that option was offered at the January Council meeting, but rejected by the council.

Neither knew exactly what the mayor’s salary is, saying it’s about $250 a week, although they believe the former mayor received a 3 percent raise and they haven’t found the paper work specifying the salary.

“I hired an attorney,” David said, saying that the city did not have a city attorney. He said Joanne McCracken of Garfield will be the city attorney.

“We want people to be involved,” Teri said. “It’s our community. It’s not David’s and mine. We are a community and we want to make it the best for all of us. We want the people involved.

They should come to the meetings.”

David said that although there is a Planning Commission, he believes it is not necessary and that the City Council can be the Planning Commission.

He said he’s researching whether that can be done.

Explaining that the city does not provide water or sewer service, does not provide law enforcement, Teri said the major business for the city government is road maintenance.

“We aren’t growing by leaps and bounds,” she said. “When the annexation happened, we annexed a bunch of cows - and their owners, of course.”

The Whites both attended the Municipal League meeting in Little Rock recently and said they learned much about city government.

News, Pages 1 on 02/02/2011