TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Kacey Duncan, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT:
title
Study of City Council Member Compensation in Oregon Cities
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
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ISSUE:
Response to motion by Councilor Diana Dickey for data regarding compensation provided to members of city councils in Oregon.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
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SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
At the September 26 meeting of the City Council, the Council passed a recommendation made by Councilor Diana Dickey to gather data regarding compensation paid to members of city councils in cities throughout Oregon. In her motion, Councilor Dickey noted that the information would provide a helpful comparison that could serve as a starting place for future discussion and consideration.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
In performing research to provide the requested data, staff was able to obtain from the Oregon League of Cities (LOC) the most recent State of Oregon Cities Survey. Of the 150 cities responding to the survey, approximately one-third (52) mentioned that they offered some form of compensation to city council members. The survey asked for the form of compensation (i.e. stipend, expense reimbursement or other benefit) paid to each city’s mayor and city councilors. The survey results as reported by respondents and additional information from Keizer, Gresham, Eugene, Medford and Beaverton gathered by staff is located in the City Council Compensation Summary (Attachment 1). Cities that indicated they provide some form of compensation, reimbursement or other benefit but provided no specifics are included with blank columns to the right of the city name.
Of the cities responding to the LOC survey, forty-one (28 percent) provide a stipend to the Mayor, and thirty-three (22 percent) offer a stipend to city council members. Forty-five cities (30 percent) acknowledged that they reimburse council members for some or all business-related expenses, and forty-four of the cities similarly reimburse their mayor. Five cities (3 percent) reported to offer some other form of benefit to the mayor and/or council members, such as a reduced water rate or access to the city’s insurance plan.
As demonstrated in the attached document, the compensation made available to elected city officials varies widely. For the cities providing specific amounts within the survey, and other selected cities with a Mayor/Council form of government that were directly contacted by staff, the median stipend was $1,800 annually for the mayor and $1,110 for city councilors. The average annual mayoral stipend for the 41 cities with available information was $4,639, with Tigard reporting a high of $45,602 and Sheridan reporting the low of $75. The average annual councilor stipend for the thirty-two cities with available information was $2,028, with Eugene indicating a high of $12,000 and Sheridan reporting the low of $50.
The City of Salem does not provide a stipend to its Mayor or Council. The City does provide reimbursement, upon request and submission of documentation, for expenses related to City business activities such as training and travel. Section 26 of the Salem City Charter establishes that “the Mayor and Councilors shall receive no compensation for their services.”
Kacey Duncan
Deputy City Manager
Attachments:
1. City Council Compensation Summary
12/05/2016