Chapter 2.05
COUNCIL SALARY COMMISSION
Sections:
2.05.010 Commission created.
2.05.015 Definitions.
2.05.020 Employees – Immediate family members – Not eligible to serve.
2.05.030 Terms – Removal.
2.05.040 Procedure – Duties.
2.05.050 Decision final.
2.05.010 Commission created.
There is created a city council salary commission (“commission”), which shall consist of five members who are residents and registered voters of the city, which shall be charged with setting the salaries of the mayor, the deputy mayor, and members of the city council (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “council”). Each member of the commission shall be appointed by the mayor, with the approval of the council. Prior to consideration for appointment, each candidate shall complete the form entitled “Biographical Information for Appointed Citizen Boards/Commissions/Committees,” or any like form as required by the council, which shall be reviewed by the mayor and council prior to appointment to the commission. (Ord. 2849 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2785 § 1, 2004; Ord. 2708 § 1, 2001).
2.05.015 Definitions.
“Salary” or “salaries,” as used in this chapter, means any fixed compensation paid periodically for work or services. This definition expressly excludes the total cost of any medical or other benefits provided to any council member under PMC 2.04.080, as well as any expenses paid or reimbursed on behalf of a council member in compliance with the city council Policy and Procedure for Travel and Business Expense Reimbursements, as approved by Resolution No. 1809 or as may subsequently be amended. (Ord. 2849 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2785 § 1, 2004).
2.05.020 Employees – Immediate family members – Not eligible to serve.
Officers, officials, and employees of the city and their immediate family members shall not be eligible to serve on the commission. For the purposes of this section, “immediate family member” shall mean a parent, stepparent, in-law, spouse, sibling, stepsibling, child, stepchild, or dependent relative of the officer, official, or employee, whether or not living in the household of the officer, official, or employee. (Ord. 2849 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2785 § 1, 2004; Ord. 2708 § 1, 2001).
2.05.030 Terms – Removal.
(1) Each member of the commission shall serve a two-year term, and no member shall be appointed to more than two terms.
(2) Commission members may only be removed during their terms of office for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or for a disqualifying change in residence or voter status. (Ord. 2849 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2785 § 1, 2004; Ord. 2708 § 1, 2001).
2.05.040 Procedure – Duties.
(1) The commission shall meet no less than three times each year, once during the months of February or March, once during June or July, and at least once during the months of October or November of each year. Additional meetings may be scheduled by the chair of the commission or by a majority vote of the commission. At least one of the meetings shall include a public hearing to provide an opportunity for the public, the mayor, deputy mayor, and/or city council members to address the commission.
(2) All meetings shall be open to the public, and shall be held in the same location as that of regularly scheduled council meetings, unless the public notice for any meeting specifies another location.
(3) The decision to raise or lower salaries shall be by a decision of a majority of the commission, provided such majority must be a number at least as large as the majority of total commission positions. (Note: In other words, if there are five members, then at least three members must vote for the final decision.)
(4) Prior to a commission vote to raise or lower salaries, citizens of the city shall have an opportunity to comment or submit comments in writing. Citizen comments shall be conducted in a manner consistent with those heard at regularly scheduled meetings of the council.
(5) Prior to a commission vote to raise or lower salaries, the commission may request additional financial information and other relevant data, other than that information provided in subsection (6) of this section, from the city manager, who shall be responsible for providing staff support to the commission personally or upon delegation to an outside agent retained to provide such support.
(6) The city manager shall provide the commission with and the commission shall consider information regarding salaries paid to city council members from comparable cities, which shall be comprised of cities with a council-manager form of government with populations over 25,000 but less than 100,000 and that are located in King, Kitsap, Pierce or Snohomish Counties, which list shall include the following cities, provided such list may be modified and updated by resolution of the city council on an annual basis to ensure cities qualify as comparable cities through application of the formula set forth in this subsection: Burien, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kirkland, Lakewood, Puyallup, Sammamish, SeaTac, Shoreline and University Place. In addition, council member salary data shall be collected from the cities of Auburn and Renton and included as part of the comparable cities’ information. (Ord. 2972 § 2, 2011; Ord. 2849 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2785 § 1, 2004; Ord. 2708 § 1, 2001).
2.05.050 Decision final.
(1) A decision by the commission to raise or lower the salary of the council shall be final, shall be filed with the city clerk, and shall be incorporated into the city budget without further action of the council or commission. Any change of salary by the commission shall supersede any ordinance or resolution in effect at the time the salaries are changed but only to the extent of such conflict.
(2) Salary increases established by the commission shall immediately be applied to the salaries of all members of the council, regardless of the remaining portion of their term of office.
(3) Salary decreases established by the commission shall not be applied to the salaries of incumbent council members until the commencement of their next term of office. (Ord. 2849 § 2, 2006; Ord. 2785 § 1, 2004; Ord. 2708 § 1, 2001).