ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - Elk Grove City Council members began considering their first raise in 12 years with a discussion at its Aug. 28 regular meeting.

Recently passed Senate Bill 329 increased the maximum salary for California’s city council members, with tiers based on population.

With a population of more than 170,000, the new maximum for Elk Grove City Council members is $2,550 per month or $30,600 per year.

Currently, councilmembers receive a base salary of $800 per month, or $9,600 per year, less than a third of the new maximum. The councilmembers last had a raise in 2012.

According to Transparent California, which lists public employee compensation, the councilmembers also receive benefits augmenting this pay.

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen receives a total of about $42,800 per year in salary and benefits. The other councilmembers receive between about $22,100 and $24,200.

A salary change would require City Council to pass an ordinance, which must receive two readings during regular council meetings. City Council must also demonstrate the need for an increase.

The salary change would not go into effect until at least one councilmember starts a new term. City staff advised beginning the ordinance process in September in order for an approved raise to take effect after the 2024 election.

Three public commenters including Elk Grove mayoral candidate Lynn Wheat voiced opposition to a raise. Wheat proposed creating an independent commission to set council salary.

Elk Grove resident Cathy Lee opposed giving City Council the maximum increase but was not against a “more reasonable” raise. She said the body’s work consists mainly of approving the city manager’s proposals.

Lee said that “$30,600 seems like an awful lot of money for a rubber-stamp type of job,” later adding, “Remember that you all chose this public-service opportunity to serve the public.”

Elk Grove resident Savannah Brown supported a raise, praising the councilmembers’ work and approachability. She added that the $2,550 is a maximum.

The councilmembers uniformly emphasized their commitment to public service but their views on receiving a raise varied.

“We’re not doing this for the money and certainly a little over $600 a week, taxable, is not something anyone’s going to get rich over,” Councilmember Darren Suen said. He pointed to inflation and the length of time since City Council’s last raise to explain what “feels like a big jump.”

Singh-Allen also focused on the 12 years since the last raise.

“I think what’s important for me is that it (the salary) hasn’t been adjusted since 2012. I think that that is concerning,” Singh-Allen said, continuing that she reinvests “100%” of her salary in the community through donations. The mayor said she sees a need for an adjustment and wants more discussion of the topic.

Councilmember Rod Brewer said City Council should “really come back and do something that is going to be fair and say this is the job that we are doing for the community,” continuing that the level of service councilmembers provide would not change based on their compensation.

Councilmember Kevin Spease said City Council’s discussion of its own compensation made him uncomfortable but he added that the current pay is “fair.” He said the total of salary plus benefits amounts to pay of $78 per hour.

“So for me, I consider that $78 an hour is extremely generous, and honestly I don’t support more,” Spease said.

Councilmember Sergio Robles voiced “full support” for a raise, saying money is a barrier preventing younger residents from running for elected office.

Multiple councilmembers called the base compensation a “stipend” rather than a “salary.”

“I think about salaries as something that’s a livable type of thing, and again, I agree with another (public comment) speaker: This is not something that you would expect to be living off of,” Suen said.

City documents and state law call the payment a salary.

City Council asked to consider an ordinance authorizing the raise on Sept. 25. The ordinance presented will give the maximum of $2,550 per month but City Council will be able to lower the amount. 

The ordinance would then need to return for final approval on Oct. 9.