CHAPTER 20
INDEPENDENT SALARY COMMISSION
SECTION:
2-20-1 Commission Established
2-20-2 Purpose
2-20-3 Qualifications
2-20-4 Membership
2-20-5 Meetings
2-20-6 Responsibilities
2-20-7 Effective Date – Salaries
2-20-8 Salary Schedule Subject To Referendum Petition
2-20-1 COMMISSION ESTABLISHED:
An Independent Salary Commission is hereby established pursuant to RCW 35.21.015, hereinafter referred to as the City of Renton Independent Salary Commission (“Commission”). (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15)
2-20-2 PURPOSE:
The Commission shall review and establish the salaries of the Councilmembers and exercise the powers and perform the duties established by RCW 35.21.015, as now existing or hereafter amended. For the purposes hereof, the salary authority of the independent salary commission shall include all compensation that may be paid to or received by councilmembers, whether or not it is identified as salary. (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15)
2-20-3 QUALIFICATIONS:
A. Members must be a resident of the City for at least one (1) year immediately preceding such appointment, 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. 5773, 10-19-15)
2-20-4 MEMBERSHIP:
A. Number of Members: The Commission shall consist of five (5) members.
B. Appointment: Members shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation by the City Council. Members shall be selected without respect to political affiliations and shall serve without compensation.
C. Terms: Members of the Commission shall serve their term upon appointment and Council confirmation, until the salary review is complete and a salary schedule has been filed with the City Clerk or until determination is made that no salary adjustment is appropriate. No member may be appointed to more than two (2) terms on the Commission, whether or not those terms are held consecutively.
D. Removal: Members may be removed by the Mayor, only, during their terms of office for cause including incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office or for a disqualifying change of residence.
E. Vacancies: Vacancies occurring shall be filled for the unexpired terms, in the same manner as appointments in subsection B of this section.
F. Quorum: Three (3) members shall constitute a quorum.
G. Chair and Vice-Chair: The Commission shall elect a chair and vice-chair from among its voting members. (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15)
2-20-5 MEETINGS:
A. The Mayor will appoint appropriate staff to assist the 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. The meetings shall be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 42.30 RCW, as amended or recodified.
C. The Commission shall meet as often as necessary in order to file a schedule with the City Clerk. Once a schedule has been filed, the Commission will not meet until the City Council confirms a new Commission for purposes of further studying City Council compensation.
D. A new Independent Salary Commission will be convened every four (4) years to review Councilmember salary and benefit compensation. (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15; Ord. 5803, 5-16-16)
2-20-6 RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Commission shall have the following responsibilities:
A. To study the relationship of salaries to the duties of Council President and Councilmembers and to study the costs personally incurred by Councilmembers in performing such duties;
B. To study the relationship of Renton Council salaries and benefits to those salaries and benefits of Councilmembers in surrounding City jurisdictions and other current market conditions;
C. To establish salary and benefits by either increasing or decreasing the existing salary and benefits of each position by an affirmative vote of not less than three (3) members; and
D. To complete their review and file the necessary salary and compensation schedule with the City Clerk no later than ninety (90) days after confirmation by the City Council. (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15; Ord. 5803, 5-16-16)
2-20-7 EFFECTIVE DATE – SALARIES:
A. The Commission established or amended salary schedule will become effective in the amounts, at the times, and under the conditions established in the schedule.
B. Any increase or decrease in salary shall become effective and incorporated into the City budget without further action of the City Council or the Commission.
C. Salary increases established by the Commission shall be effective as to all Council elected officials, regardless of their terms of office.
D. Salary decreases established by the Commission shall become effective as to incumbent Council elected officials at the commencement of their next subsequent terms of office.
E. Any adjustment of salary by the Commission shall supersede any City ordinance related to the budget or to the fixing of salaries. (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15)
2-20-8 SALARY SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO REFERENDUM PETITION:
A. Salary increases and decreases shall be subject to referendum petition in the same manner as an ordinance upon filing of such petition with the City Clerk within thirty (30) days after filing of the salary schedule. In the event of the filing of a valid referendum petition, the salary increase or decrease shall not go into effect until approved by vote of the people.
B. Referendum measures under this section shall be submitted to the voters of the City at the next following general or municipal election occurring thirty (30) days or more after the petition is filed, and shall be otherwise governed by the provisions of the Washington State Constitution, Chapter 1-2 Renton Municipal Code, or laws generally applicable to referendum measures. (Ord. 5773, 10-19-15)