Independent commission to decide on Council pay

Published 1:06 pm Wednesday, November 25, 2015

It’s been 14 years since the Renton City Council got a raise and this fall, a commission of five city residents will decide if it’s time to boost the pay of the council’s seven members.

Council president Ed Prince said it was time to look at the issue, though he has never been a fan of elected officials giving themselves raises, which is why the independent commission made up of a diverse group of city residents was brought in.

“We thought we would have an outside group of folks take a look at this,” he said, adding that it would be more transparent with a group of citizens making that decision.

Prince estimated that members of the council spend about 20 hours per week – give or take – on city business, including meetings, preparation and other civic duties.

Commission members will have three options: Raise the salaries, lower it or keep it the same.

Members of the council are part-time and currently make $950 per month, or $11,400 annually, which is less than in surrounding, comparable cities.

Council members in Kent, for example, make $13,752 per year and after 10 years without one received a 2.5 percent raise this year and will receive a 2.5 percent increase every January, thanks to a similar commission in that city.

In Tukwila, council members are paid between $1,050 and $1,250 per month, depending on their terms. The council is currently in the middle of a pay increase, but salaries may not rise until the position’s next term begins, which explains the difference.

The Renton salary commission was to meet Nov. 24 and are expected to report their findings to the council before the end of the year.