Tucson voters will be asked in November whether to raise the pay of the mayor and City Council members by 65 percent.
The suggestion to raise salaries came from the Citizens’ Commission on Public Service and Compensation, an independent commission created under the city charter.
Under the proposal, a council member’s annual salary would rise from $24,000 to $39,600, and the mayor’s annual salary would increase from $42,000 to $69,300. Neither the mayor nor council members have received a pay increase since 1999.
The vote will be held Nov. 7 as part of the general election. The two proposals will be voted on as one ballot item, meaning they either pass or fail together.
On Wednesday night, the Tucson City Council voted 6-1 to accept the commission’s recommendation and place the proposal on the November ballot. Councilman Paul Cunningham cast the lone vote against putting the item on the ballot.
However, the council had little choice but to approve the measure.
“The charter requires that the commission’s recommendation for a pay change go on the ballot at the next general election. The only way an item can go on the ballot is by mayor and council approving an ordinance calling the election and putting the question on that ballot,” said City Attorney Mike Rankin.
The pay raise comes on the heels of the passage of Proposition 101 in May, which asked city voters to back a temporary half-cent sales tax to fund road construction and to buy equipment for the police and fire departments.
The council also backed a “structurally balanced” budget last month, which largely avoided any property tax increases and layoffs of city employees by reducing expenses. At least a portion of those savings came from merging city departments and not filling open positions.
Raises for employees this year have not been decided, with City Manager Michael Ortega opting to wait three months before deciding whether to spend $2.6 million that has been set aside for a “one-time” distribution to select employees.
Last year, the city gave a one-time bonus to about 4,000 employees before Thanksgiving. The $1,000 bonus to full-time employees cost the city an estimated $4 million but wasn’t considered a raise.
Cunningham said he might be comfortable backing a pay raise if it included some economic-related performance incentives for the council.
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild said neither he nor the council have any real say in the matter, noting the charter requires that an independent commission make recommendations every two years, with the voters then deciding whether to support a raise.
“It’s probably not the best system for setting compensation for elected officials, but it’s the system we’ve got,” Rothschild said. “I’m not asking for a raise, and I don’t know of any City Council member who’s asking for a raise. But for as far back as I can remember, the commission has recommended that our salaries be increased.”
Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, who is not seeking re-election this year, said a salary increase could open the door for more community members to run for a seat on the council.
She said the demands of the elected position can be time consuming, especially when dealing with the city budget and meeting with community members. The council job, she said, usually attracts retirees or people who have other jobs.
Vice Mayor Regina Romero said she believed a raise in salary could help increase diversity on the council.
“I think the current pay for mayor and council is a barrier for women, under-represented communities and working heads of households to run for office. It’s unfortunate because we need diverse and representative voices on the City Council and in every level of government,” Romero said.
Councilman Steve Kozachik said serving on the council is not a hobby and requires hours of serious work.
“The reality is that the work we do involves significant decisions that affect the quality of life of everyone in the community. They’re not hobbies for someone to take lightly and do in their spare time,” Kozachik said.
As for whether the council needs a raise? “That’s totally up to the voters,” Kozachik said.
