7.6. SR 08-16-2004MEMORANDUM
Item #7.6
TO:
Mayor and City Council
FROM:
Joan Schmidt, City Clerk
DATE:
August 16, 2004
SUBJECT: Mayor and Council Wages
At the council meeting of August 9, 2004, Councilrnember Dietz expressed interest in
looking at the possibility of increasing the Mayor and Councilmembers wages. I have
provided data from the same communities that were used by the Personnel Committee in
evaluating data for employees. I have also provided what the amount would be if the
Council wished to increase the wages by 2 percent and 3 percent. However, the Cound/mqy set
its wages at wha/ever amounts it deems reasonable.
Any changes in Mayor and Council wages needs to be established by ordmance; the effective
date of which must occur before the next regular city election after which the salaries are to
be effective. The council sets its salaries at whatever amounts it deems reasonable, subject
only to the limit that a change in salary does not become effective until after the elections.
Current Salary Amount for With Increase of 2 percent With Increase of 3 percent
Mayor (yearly)
$6,900 $7,038 $7,107
With Increase of 3 percent
Current Salary Amount for
Acting Mayor (yearly)
$6,300
Current Salary Amount for
Councilmembers (yearly)
$5,700
With Increase of 2 percent
$6,426
With Increase of 2 percent
$5,814
$6,489
With Increase of 3 percent
$5,871
ORDINANCE 04 -
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ELK RIVER
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 2-32
SALARIES OF MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS
Section 2-32 Salaries of Mayor and Councilmembers
(a)
The salary of the Mayor of the City shall be $
per year.
(b)
The salary of the Acting Mayor of the City shall be $
per year.
(c)
The salary of each remaining Councilmember of the City shall be
$ per year.
This Ordinance shall take effect and be in full force on January 1, 2005.
Passed and adopted by the City Council of the city of Elk River this
of ., 2004.
day
ATTEST:
Stephanie Klinzing, Mayor
Joan Schmidt, City Clerk
S:Clerk/Ordinance 04.doc
ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS · WWW.TWINCITIES.COM
Ow,
LOCAL
Mayors' salaries all over the map
Eden Prairie mayor
costs each taxpayer
13 cents a year;
it's four times that
in Golden Valley
BY BOB SHAW
Pioneer Press
Who is getting the most
mayor for the least money?
The taxpayers of Eden
Prairie have that honor, paying
a mere 13 cents apiece per year
for their mayor's $7,200 salary.
Thc reaction of mayor Nancy
Tyra-Lukens of Eden Prairie
was lightning-fast. "What? I
should be getting battle pay,"
she said. "This is a huge bargain
(for taxpayers)."
If you live in Golden Valley,
though, you pay nearly four times
what Eden Prairie taxpayers do
-- the highest in the survey.
"Don't tell my constituents,"
said Linda Loomis, who has
been Golden Valley mayor since
January. "I am not responsible
for setting the salary. The coun-
cil before me set that."
The salary-per-capita calcu-
lations can be made from the
2002 salary survey made by the
Association of Metropolitan
Municipalities, based on 2000
census figures.
A survey of salaries for 2002
said that St. Paul had the highest-
paid mayor at $93,146, with the
Minneapolis mayor making
about $5,000 less -- for running a
larger city.
Larger cities generally pay
elected officials more, but the
survey showed some anomalies.
For example, several of the bar-
gain mayors -- those paid the
least per capita in their cities --
were in larger east- and south-
metro suburbs, such as Wood-
bury and Eagan.
Loomis said Golden Valley
taxpayers are "definitely getting
their money's worth."
Her $10,910 salary wasn't
Mayors' Salaries: Most bang for the buck
The salary of mayors of cities over 20,000 in the metro area.
Mayor's Council Mayor's salary
City salary salaries in cents per citizen
Golden Valley $10,910 $8,165
New Hope $10,672 $7,553
South St. Paul $10,200 $6,600
New Brighton $8,600 $6,999
Savage $8,000 $6,000
Crystal $8,612 $6,624
Brooklyn Center $9,870 $7,557
Champlin $7,594 $5,836
Fridley $9,448 $6,861
Shakopee $6,756 $5,628
St. Paul $93,146 $30,000
White Bear Lake $7,680 $5,400
Chanhassen $6,000 $4,800
Maplewood $10,561 $9,294
Andover $7,800 $6,650
Oakdale $7,200 $5,820
Blaine $11,268 $8,256
Cottage Grove $7,800 $6,000
Inver Grove Heights $7,500 $6,000
Richfield $8,235 $6,392
Minneapolis $88,000 $6S,678
Brooklyn Park $15,492 $10,320
Lakeville $9,996 $8,664
Apple Valley $9,780 $6,984
Bloomington $18,700 $11,700
St. Louis Park $9,760 $6,365
Maple Grove $11,000 $9,100
Coon Rapids $12,800 $9,600
Minnetonka $9,600 $7,200
Burnsville $10,584 $7,440
Plymouth $11,484 $8,316
Woodbury $7,560 $5,820
Eagan $9,500 $6,880
Edina $7,000 $5,000
Eden Prairie $7,200 $6,000
Source: Association of Metropoliton Municipalities
PIONEER PRESS
even that good for a part-time
job, she said, and felt more like a
full-time job. She said that other
mayors had resigned because
they couldn't spend the time.
"Because we are a smaller
city doesn't mean there is any-
thing less to do," Loomis said.
In Eden Prairie, the City Hall
has tightened its belt to the break-
lng point, said Tyra-Lukens.
"People are stunned when
they get me at home," she said.
"They don't realize I don't have
a office, ! don't have a secretary
and I don't have a phone line. I
don't have a fax machine or a
computer.
"You heard my son's voice on
the answering machine."
Bob Shaw can be reached at
bshaw@pioneerpress, com or
(651) 228-5433.
ICity
Elk River
Hastings
i Population
Mayor Salary i Council Salary # of Mtgs/Month ,
6,900 5,700 3
18,082
20,000 1.5 hrs No 4-6/yr _ No
Savage ~ 25,000
Andover . 30,802 _ 9,500 . 7,500
_ino Lakes . 16,791 6,090 ~ 4,872
~noka 18,121 ! 6,825 5,800
Salary Survey - Mayor & City Council
# of Special
Mtgs/Month or Mileage to Attend
Avg. Length of Meeting Pymt for Special Mtgs /Year : Meetings
2-3 hrs No No
8,400 ~ 6,000 2
2 Regular
7,200 ! 5,400 . 1 Worksession
2 Regular
1 Worksession
2 Regular
2 Worksession
2 regular
i Worksession
Pymt for Other Boards
Yes - $150 EDA
No
3 hrs ; No . 1 . No , No
;Only ~ Park Comm-$20/Mtg-Chairman-$30/Mtg
3 hrs i No Occasionally No. Planning Comm-$20/Mtg-Chairman-$30/Mtg
3 hrs i Yes No ~ Yes
I ; Only @ ~
3 hrs No . Budget Time No No
Prior Lake ' 18,729 ! 5,700 4,500 ~ 2 - 3 hrs ~ No ~ 3/yr i Yes-if out of city i Ye~-$40 per diem forany meeting on city's behalf.
6,000 Now $4,500 Now
Ramsey ~ 22,000 8,000 in 2005 6,000 in 2005 i 4 . 2.5-3 hrs _ No . Less than 1~ No . Yes - $25/mo Stipend for Planning, EDA, & Park & Rec
' No
Farmingt°n 18,000 {5,040 4,020 ~ 2 1.5 hrs . Less than 1
Forest Lake i 15,500 i 6,500 i 5,500 i ; 3 hrs ~ No i 3-5/yr , No : $25)mtgq'qolimit
' i 2 Regular i ~ ' - No for CC to attend other meetings
Rosemount 17,613 : 5,500 4,800 i 1 Worksession 3 hrs No % 1-3/yr ! No $35 to Commissioners
Chaska ' 18,000 5,400 ~ 4,320 ' 2 ' 2.5 firs i No ! 1 ' No i No
champ n 22,000 ~,550 t_ 6,610 _-- 2 ~ 1.5 hrs ~ No i 4/yr i Yes ! No