Chapter 2.70
COMPENSATION AND SALARY COMMISSION
Sections:
2.70.010 Salary commission established.
2.70.020 Salary commission – Qualifications and conditions.
2.70.030 Salary commission – Membership and term.
2.70.040 Salary commission – Duties.
2.70.050 Salary commission – Meetings.
2.70.060 Salary schedule effective date.
2.70.010 Salary commission established.
A. A salary commission is hereby established to review, establish, and adjust the salaries and benefits for the elected and appointed officials of the city (mayor, deputy mayor and city councilmembers), and exercise powers and perform the duties established by RCW 35.21.015 as it now exists or is hereafter amended. The salary commission shall not be a standing commission. Commission members shall be appointed as provided in SMC 2.70.030 once every four years commencing in 2022. The commission may be filled at any time in the interim years as directed by the city council by resolution. [Ord. 919 § 1, 2021]
2.70.020 Salary commission – Qualifications and conditions.
A. Members must be a resident of the city and a registered voter of King County.
B. No officer, official, or employee of the city or any of their immediate family members may serve on the commission. “Immediate family member” as used in this subsection means the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relatives of the officer, official or employee, whether or not living in the household of the officer, official or employee. [Ord. 919 § 1, 2021]
2.70.030 Salary commission – Membership and term.
A. Number of Members. The commission shall consist of three members.
B. Appointment. Members shall be appointed by the mayor subject to confirmation by the city council, in conformance with RCW 35.21.015 as it now exists or is hereafter amended. Members will be entitled to such compensation as provided by the city council in the biennial budget. Members may also be reimbursed for reasonable expenses pursuant to city ordinances and policies.
C. Terms. Members of the commission shall serve for a term of no more than one year, which shall commence when the last of the three commission members has been appointed and confirmed and cease when the review of salaries, insurance benefits and compensation in lieu of insurance benefits is complete and a salary schedule has been filed with the city clerk or until any determination is made that no salary or benefit adjustment is appropriate. No member may be appointed to more than two terms on the commission, whether or not those terms are held consecutively.
D. Quorum. Three members shall constitute a quorum.
E. Removal. Commission members may only be removed by the mayor during their term of office for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office, or for a disqualifying change of residence, revocation, or other loss of voter registration.
F. Vacancies. Vacancies occurring shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment, with the replacement serving the remainder of the unexpired term. [Ord. 978 § 1(C)(1), 2023; Ord. 919 § 1, 2021]
2.70.040 Salary commission – Duties.
The commission shall have the following responsibilities:
A. To study the relationship of salaries to the duties of the mayor, deputy mayor and councilmembers and to study the costs personally incurred by councilmembers in performing such duties;
B. To study the relationship of Shoreline city council salaries and insurance benefits and compensation in lieu of insurance benefits to those of councilmembers in surrounding city jurisdictions and other current market conditions, including consideration of factors that would encourage an economically and socially diverse city council, which could include changes to the CPI-U in the Puget Sound region, changes to the statewide minimum wage, and other current market conditions;
C. To establish salaries, insurance benefits and/or compensation in lieu of insurance benefits (salary schedule), by either maintaining, increasing, or decreasing each by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members;
D. To review and potentially file a salary schedule with the city clerk no later than by the deadline set out in SMC 2.70.050(C). [Ord. 919 § 1, 2021]
2.70.050 Salary commission – Meetings.
A. The city manager will appoint appropriate staff to assist the salary commission.
B. The commission shall keep a written record of its proceedings, which shall be a public record in accordance with state law, and shall actively solicit public comment at all meetings which shall be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act, pursuant to Chapter 42.30 RCW.
C. The commission shall meet as often as necessary in order to file a salary schedule with the city clerk or to make a determination that no salary adjustment is appropriate, on or before October 1st in the year in which the salary commission performs their work. [Ord. 919 § 1, 2021]
2.70.060 Salary schedule effective date.
A. The salary commission shall file any increase or decrease in the salary schedule with the city clerk, and the same will be incorporated into the city budget without further action of the city council or the commission; provided, that the increase or decrease shall become effective as further provided in subsections B and C of this secction.
B. A salary increase established by the commission shall be effective upon its adoption as to all incumbent city elected officials, regardless of their terms of office.
C. A salary decrease established by the commission shall not be effective as to incumbent city elected officials until the commencement of their next terms of office.
D. Any adjustment of salary by the commission shall supersede any city ordinance related to the budget or fixing of salaries, but only to the extent there is a conflict. [Ord. 919 § 1, 2021]