San Bernardino City Council Votes to fatten their wallets
Beginning in December, members of the San Bernardino City Council will earn $37,500 a year, a 167% increase over the previous four years. The increase will take effect when those elected to new terms this year are sworn in.
The mayor's new $50,000 pay will also begin at that time. As part-time officials, council members presently receive $14,000 per year.
In terms of what neighboring cities pay their part-time leaders, the new basic income for San Bernardino policymakers, once implemented, will trail only the $41,376 base salary Riverside gives its elected officials, according to a poll submitted to the City Council.
The compensation raise was authorized by council members Theodore Sanchez, Sandra Ibarra, Fred Shorett, Ben Reynoso, and Kimberly Calvin on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Councilmen Juan Figueroa and Damon Alexander voted against it. "The job this council undertakes is fairly comprehensive," Sanchez, who offered the $37,500 number ahead of the vote on Wednesday evening, said. "It's often as much, if not more, than the mayor."
While a local advisory group suggested raising council members' salaries to $21,000, Sanchez proposed increasing their compensation to 75% of the future mayor's.
Previously before Wednesday, San Bernardino authorities delayed upping their pay because municipal negotiators were working to negotiate deals with employee negotiating unions.
Any increased wage for elected officials would have had to be authorized and endorsed by the City Council before the Nov. 8 election, otherwise it would have taken effect in 2024.
In addition to their increased salary, San Bernardino City Council members will receive employer health care contributions and yearly cost of living increases comparable to those provided by the city to management staff.
They will also receive a monthly car allowance of $725. It is unknown how the higher salary would affect future budgets at this time.
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This article originally appeared in San Bernardino council boosts salary to $37,500, a 167% increase