Brentwood council users progress 22% raise right after heading with none due to the fact 2014

BRENTWOOD — The City Council members state-of-the-art a 22% elevate for on their own this week following heading with no improves since 2014.

The council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to immediate workers to get ready an ordinance offering a 2.8% enhance for just about every of the past 8 decades that the council went with no raises. Council members currently are compensated $939.26 per thirty day period with the $211.33 regular maximize, they will receive $1,150.59 a month.

Only two citizens spoke on the subject, equally in favor of the extra payment.

“I’ve observed what persons hope of the Metropolis Council, of all of you,” Rod Flohr mentioned. “The knowing that they have I think is that you’re all comprehensive time and very little could really be even more from the reality. … But I do come to feel like $900 a month is scarcely even an honorarium for the function that you all do.”

Jackie Wong mentioned as a new resident he is contented with the council’s function.

“I feel you know having the maximum (enhance), that is a honest action,” he said.

Councilwoman Karen Rarey, who is not searching for re-election and will not advantage from an enhance, recommended the income hike, noting council users shell out a great deal a lot more time performing on metropolis issues than individuals may understand. She herself spends at least 30 hrs a 7 days and also attends many functions and at minimum two weekly subcommittee meetings, she explained.

“There are situations the place I will go up to 40 hours, and think it or not when we were shut down with COVID, I was closer to 60 several hours a week just looking into, listening to everything that was heading on and acquiring means for people,” she mentioned. “But we do just take a great deal of our family members time for answering e-mails and attending conferences to study much more about matters going on at the condition amount that may possibly support us at the city amount.”

Rarey additional that she thinks the council deserves some sort of pay out bump.

“A 5% elevate or a few and a quarter or no matter what you want to do just for this year and then rethink it again in eight several years,” she stated.

City Manager Tim Ogden claimed by regulation the council could vote up to 5% for every single of the past 8 a long time when no raises ended up given, or could opt for to use the normal elevate of city emloyees moreover police – 2.8% – for its month-to-month bump.

8 years before, council members accepted a 65% enhance for by themselves – 5% for each and every of the prior 13 years when no will increase were being presented.

Councilwoman Susannah Meyer said that while she did not develop into a council member to dietary supplement her income, she does agree there is a lot additional involved than just attending meetings, which includes all the prep do the job looking at and analyzing information and facts ahead of time.

“I recognize the residents (who supported an maximize) and Councilmember Rarey for bringing this up,” she claimed. “But I also know that we’ve experienced workers associates who have especially not questioned for raises on an once-a-year basis in the interest of executing what’s most effective for the metropolis. So I’m torn on this.”

Mendoza, who also has a total-time job, concurred that numerous constituents almost certainly really do not understand how lots of hours council associates put into the position.

“I didn’t even know this was an option to get a raise, but we’re working a large amount,” she reported. “I assume that ….(there is) a whole lot of us who put in a large amount a lot more than individuals expect.”

Mendoza added that though it felt “a bit awkward,” she supported the pay back improve.

“I assume that if the men and women coming at the rear of us are doing the job as tough as some of us are, then it’s going to be effectively-deserved and I assume that we want to continue on to catch the attention of talent that appreciates that the expectation is you are heading to be doing work like 30 hours a week,” Mendoza reported. “And if you just cannot do that, you know, it’s in all probability not the gig for you.”