Panel OKs pay hike for mayor, councilors
Tuesday, September 9, 2003 8:35 AM PDT
By Tony Lystra
Printable version
E-mail this articleA commission of Longview residents voted to give the mayor and city council a $50 a month raise Monday, saying that, even in difficult economic times, the city needs to create incentives for top-notch people to run for public office.
The move comes a little more than a week after a lethargic economy prompted the council to cut more than $2.2 million from the city's general budget. Because of the cuts, the city will close the Catlin Pool and reduce the public library's operating hours.
Seven council members' monthly salaries will increase from $450 to $500. Mayor Mark McCrady will earn $900 per month instead of $850. The raises, which will go into effect Jan. 1, will cost the city an additional $4,200 each year.
The seven-member, mayor-appointed group that voted for the increases is known as the Longview Commission on the Salaries of Elected Officials. It convenes periodically to review the council's pay.
The commission decided to hold a public hearing about the increases at 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at City Hall. It reserves the option to reconvene and reduce the raises should the public protest or if other developments warrant reconsideration, members said.
During an hour-long meeting Monday at City Hall, commission members tried to balance two ideas. On the one hand, they said that salary is a factor in spurring qualified people to run for public office. On the other, they recognized that the local economy is faltering, and city coffers are the worse for it.
"We're asking an awful lot from (the council) and not paying them much for their time," said Doug Silver, commission member. "I'm afraid that if we continue to say, 'No, no, no' (to raises), we will set ourselves up to get incompetent people."
Silver said he had recently talked with two council members who said that sitting behind the dais amounted to a "grossly underpaid job." Silver took the point, saying that council members spend a mint on gas when they drive to countless civic gatherings and sometimes cede valuable family time to take phone calls from constituents.
Only one of four open council seats is being contested in the November election. A perception that the office is demanding, but offers few benefits, could be part of the reason, Silver said.
Other commission members cited a study, which found that Washington cities of similar size pay their council members more money. Council members in Puyallup, for example, earn $660 per month; its mayor earns $1,100.
But commission member Ted Sprague pointed out that the city had recently shut down the Catlin Pool, which might make this month a bad time to raise salaries. And Silver conceded that "not all of these other cities are blue-collar towns that are losing (jobs) as quickly as we are."
The commission eventually agreed on a compromise to raise salaries, but not to the levels of other cities throughout the state. Silver was the only commission member to vote against the $50 raises. He said that council members' salaries should be increased by a larger amount..
When the commission last met, in 2002, it decided not to increase the salaries. The group is scheduled to meet again in September 2004.
Council members could not be reached Monday evening.
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