Title
Discussion of Council Salaries
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a Committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Review and discuss information presented on Council salaries. Briefing only; no action requested.
Report
Issue:
Consider how Olympia City Council salaries compare to similar sized cities; and what is a "salary commission?"
Staff Contact:
Joe Olson, Human Resources Director, Administrative Services Department 360.753.8309
Presenter(s):
Joe Olson, Human Resources Director
Background and Analysis:
1) Council requested information on how its salary compares to similar sized cities.
Background: The attached table compares salaries from AWC member cities that have a council/city manager form of government and a population 10,000 more or less than Olympia's. (The City is a member of the Association of Washington (AWC). Every year AWC does a salary survey of member cities on certain classifications including city council salaries.)
Analysis: Of the cities surveyed, Olympia has the highest rate of pay for council members.
2) Council requested information on how the City of Tumwater formed a salary commission which determines council salaries.
Background: The State Constitution prohibits elected officials from raising their own salaries during their term in office. However, the state Constitution does permit mid-term salary increases for municipal officers who do not fix their own compensation.
The legislature passed RCW 35.21.015 which allows cities to establish a salary commission by ordinance. Such a commission is empowered to raise salaries of city elected officials at the time set by ordinance (including mid-term) as long as the commission is:
* Appointed by the mayor with approval of the city council;
* Not appointed for more than two terms;
* Only removed during their terms of office for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office or for a ...
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