At its August 8 meeting, the Concord City Council voted to increase its salary to $1,900 per month, a $500 increase, to be effective after the November 2024 election.
The Concord City Council currently is compensated $1,433.12 per month ($17,1974 per year) which was approved in February 2022. That increase represented a three percent (3%) and three percent (3%), not compounded, increase from the prior rate of compensation, which had remained unchanged since 2018.
SB 329 increased the maximum amount of salary, based upon the population of the city that may be approved by an ordinance passed by the City Council. The amount for Concord is $1,900 per month, or $22,800 per year. $1,900 per month is the maximum amount of salary allowed by SB 329.
Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister asked if the bill included any cost of living increases annually or if this was a “one and done” and they were simply re-benchmarking council pay.
The city clerk shared in 2024, the council could then increase its salary by 5% but could increase based on CPI but not more than 10%.
During public comments, two members spoke in favor of the salary increase in the name of fair pay.
Councilmember Carlyn Obringer said she would not be supporting the item highlighting how most of the time when she speaks to constituents they are not pleased the council is receiving any compensation.
“I don’t think they would be very pleased if I voted for a raise. I will point out that $22,800 is not a living wage so this would have to be a lot higher for someone to have to duly compensated for the time and energy that goes into doing this job correctly ,” said Obringer. “I did not go into office to get rich so I am not going to be supporting this. I have not supported raises in the past so I will not be doing it now.”
Vice Mayor Ed Birsan said he would be supporting this and said the wage increase is not enough.
“I would like to totally disagree with my colleague,” stated Birsan. “As the poorest member of this council, as someone who qualifies for low, or very low under are affordable housing thing, this compensation helps reduce the loss that I go through in doing this job. To actually say it’s not a living wage is quite correct. To say we don’t deserve a living wage is quite incorrect.”
Councilmember Laura Nakamura highlighted when this came up, this was about future city councilmembers who would be doing the work, not the councilmembers sitting today. She shared the city council should be open to everyone, not just those who have the means regardless of socioeconomic circumstances.
Hoffmeister said she would support the item while seeking to provide context.
“From 1998 to 2008, there was 10-years where this council did not have a pay adjustment. So we have been very frugal with the taxpayer money with trying to balance the needs as elected officials to serve the community,” said Hoffmeister noting the high gas price they paid months ago to travel around the Bay Area. “We don’t have big expense accounts and lucky we budget for a few conferences a year to attend, but 2010-2013 we also did not take any increase. We did not take an increase between 2014-18. As a matter of fact, in 2009 where we took a decrease.”
She said the council has tried to balance their pay in line with employees and with the adjustment they are behind what the employees were able to get in terms of their MOU and labor agreements.
Hoffmeister pointed out the job of a councilmember should be done by those who are either retired or have a job that provides them with flexibility to work because $23,000 a year is not going to let anyone live and serve he community.
She also added that if they did not do an increase, any council going forward would have a larger increase which she called would be “substantial” to try and catch up—calling it a “travesty and the optics” in the eye of the community.”
“I appreciate the State of California has finally looked at this issue and realize they haven’t made any changes to the state law, and we were limited to what we could do under that state law. They went back and reviewed it after some 30-years,” said Hoffmeister. “I appreciate Senate Bill Dodd and moving this legislation forward.”
The council voted 4-1 in favor of the stipend increase with Obringer dissenting.
The City Council could have also opted to increase by a lower amount but went for as much they could under State Law.
With Governor Gavin Newsom signing Senate Bill 329 (Bill Dodd), it increases the maximum amount of salary, based upon the population of the city, approved by an ordinance passed by the city council. By ordinance, a city can now pay up to the following:
- In cities up to and including 35,000 in population, up to and including nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) per month.
- In cities over 35,000 up to and including 50,000 in population, up to and including one thousand two hundred seventy-five dollars ($1,275) per month.
- In cities over 50,000 up to and including 75,000 in population, up to and including one thousand six hundred dollars ($1,600) per month.
- In cities over 75,000 up to and including 150,000 in population, up to and including one thousand nine hundred dollars ($1,900) per month.
- In cities over 150,000 up to and including 250,000 in population, up to and including two thousand five hundred fifty dollars ($2,550) per month.
- In cities over 250,000 population, up to and including three thousand two hundred dollars ($3,200) per month.
To watch the meeting, click here
For the agenda, click here
Previous Stories
- July 3: City Council Pay Cap Bill Signed Into Law
- June 14 – Sen. Dodd’s City Council Pay Cap Bill Approved by Legislature
- June 8: Assembly Committee OKs Sen. Dodd’s City Council Pay Cap Bill
- May 2: Senate Approves Sen. Dodd’s City Council Pay Cap Bill
- April 19: Committee Passes City Council Pay Cap Bill
- Feb 8: Sen. Dodd Introduces Bill that Would Allow Increases in City Council Salaries
2 comments
Defund Politicians!
Imagine being able to vote on your own pay increase with a group of people that also wants pay increases…….oh wait.
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