A salary increase for the Unified Government mayor and commissioners was approved at the Thursday, Dec. 21, UG meeting.
In two unanimous votes, the commission approved the salary increases. Mayor Mark Holland proposed the salary increases. Dec. 21 was his last UG meeting.
The mayor will receive $120,000 a year, to begin in four years, in 2022, according to the ordinance that was passed 10-0. The current salary is $89,232.
Mayor Holland stated that the mayor’s position was a demanding position that required a great deal of time and energy, and its compensation should be similar to other UG officials with a high level of responsibility.
Information was presented at a special session Dec. 7 about the salaries of other mayors and chief executives in the area, as well as about other elected officials, many of whom made more than the mayor. (See https://wyandotteonline.com/holland-proposes-salary-hike-for-ug-mayor-commission/)
After a discussion by Commissioner Ann Brandau Murguia, the proposal to give cost-of-living increases to commissioners in four years was changed to starting the increase next month. Commissioners voted 10-0 for the proposal.
Under the proposal as it passed, UG commissioners will start receiving the increased salary in January 2018.
Currently, district commissioners receive $12,000 a year and at-large commissioners, $14,400.
It is the same amount that was set by the charter ordinance 20 years ago, according to Administrator Doug Bach.
The proposed increase is $17,700 for district commissioners and $21,252 for at-large commissioners, and they would receive an annual cost-of-living increase. The new figures reflect cost-of-living increases over the past 20 years, according to UG officials.
Bach said there was generally no group of employees or elected officials that did not receive a cost-of-living raise over the years, except for the commission.
“I think our charter needs to be amended immediately to include COLA increases for commissioners,” Murguia said.
Commissioner Hal Walker, who was attending his last meeting as a commissioner, said he thought these salaries were set up on the notion that this was a 10-hour-a-week job.
“In 12 years, I could count on one hand the number of weeks I only put in 10 hours in relation to this government,” he said. “This is a 20- to 25-hour-a-week minimum, if you’re not doing that, you’re not doing the job.”