A 25 percent pay raise proposed for Olympia mayor, city council

Olympia’s elected officials could get substantial raises, with an independent commission recommending salary increases of about 25 percent.

The proposal would bump the mayor’s annual salary to about $25,000, the mayor pro-tempore’s salary to about $23,000, and the council members’ salaries to about $21,000.

The elected officials also would receive a benefit stipend of $3,300 per year to offset out-of-pocket medical and dental costs.

The salary commission, made up of five Olympia residents, will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in room 207 of Olympia City Hall. They will review the final proposal during the meeting, which is open to the public.

The entity already has held three public meetings on the topic.

“The commission believes that given the sizable time commitment required of Olympia council members, coupled with the complexity of the issues before the council, a salary adjustment is warranted,” said Stephen Langer, who chairs the salary commission.

“Attracting quality candidates to serve on (the) council is in the best interest of the citizens of Olympia, and the positions should be fairly compensated,” he said.

Langer served on the Olympia City Council from 2010 to 2015.

City council members work about 90 hours per month, making them part-time employees, according to a news release.

The salary commission took into account the cost-of-living increases received by other city employees in recent years, council work loads, the complexities associated with governing the capital city, among other factors.

The city’s elected officials’ last pay increase was in 2008, according to City Manager Steve Hall. Since then, state Legislators’ salaries have increased by about 13 percent.

Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby currently makes $19,968 per year, while Mayor Pro-tempore Nathaniel Jones makes $18,304 per year. The other council members each make $16,640 per year.

There’s no limit on how much the commission can increase or decrease elected officials’ salaries, said City Attorney Steve Barber. Any changes must be filed with the City Clerk’s office by Oct. 1.

Increases take effect 30 days after the commission files the changes. If they were to recommend a decrease, it would take effect at the beginning of each elected official’s next term.

The commission is made up of Langer, Samantha Jenkins, Jim Randall, Joyce Turner and Jill Severn. The members were appointed by Selby and approved by the council.

This story was originally published September 18, 2017 at 1:08 PM with the headline "A 25 percent pay raise proposed for Olympia mayor, city council."