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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 01 Charter Amendment to Allow for Councilor Compensation AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 6/9/2014 Meeting Type: Work Session Staff Contact/Dept.: Niel Laudati/CMO Staff Phone No: 541.726.3780 Estimated Time: 20 Minutes S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Provide Financially Responsible and Innovative Government Services ITEM TITLE: CHARTER AMENDEMENT TO ALLOW FOR COUNCILOR COMPENSATION ACTION REQUESTED: Obtain guidance from Council on moving forward with a Charter Amendment allowing for City Councilor Compensation. ISSUE STATEMENT: The Springfield Mayor and Council are volunteers. The Springfield Charter states: “No Councilor or Mayor may receive compensation for serving in that capacity. The Council may prescribe a plan for reimbursing Mayor and City Council for expenses they incur in serving the City.” ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1: Survey Results Attachment 2: Memo from the City Attorney’s Office to the Planning Commission acting as the Committee for Citizen Involvement Regarding a Stipend for the City Council DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL IMPACT: In 2013, a small sub-committee made up of members of the City Council, the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Office met on several occasions to review the need for an update of the City Charter to allow for a reasonable monthly compensation. After discussion and reviewing council compensation from across the state, the sub-committee recommended a $300 per month stipend for each councilor and a $500 per month stipend for the Mayor. The issue was then forwarded by the City Council to the Springfield Committee for Citizen Involvement (CCI) for review and direction. A survey was released on April 3, to all city boards and commissions via email and to the community at-large via the city’s social media sites, websites and email lists. Local media outlets also covered the survey and provided information on how to participate. Over the course of two weeks, 282 people took the survey, with 76-percent of those surveyed in favor of supporting a charter amendment. The unedited responses, along with all public comments, can be found on Attachment 1. A public hearing took place on May 20. No one spoke on the issue. The CCI recommends that the council move forward in placing a charter amendement regarding council compensation on the ballot in Novembers, 2014 with the following additional consideration: That the base compensation be at $300 a month for councilors with an allowance for cost of living for future years. And, the mayor start at $500 per month with the same cost of living application. Decision points: 1. Move forward with a ballot measure using the recommendation from the CCI and discussion from the council 2. Hold a public hearing prior to moving forward with a ballot measure 3. Keep the charter as is with no changes and no ballot measure Next steps if council decides to move forward (prior to July 21): 1.Finalize compensation options 2. Prepare ballot title Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 1 / 10 59.86%167 40.14%112 Q1 Have you ever attended a Springfield City Council meeting? Answered: 279 Skipped: 3 Total 279 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses Yes No Attachment 1 Page 1 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 2 / 10 60.71%170 39.29%110 Q2 Have you ever contacted your City Councilor or Mayor? Answered: 280 Skipped: 2 Total 280 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses Yes No Attachment 1 Page 2 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 3 / 10 26.43%74 48.57%136 19.64%55 3.21%9 2.14%6 Q3 Are you satisfied with the work done on our behalf by the Mayor and City Council? Please chose a ranking on a scale from 1-5 with 5 being the most satisfied. Answered: 280 Skipped: 2 Total 280 5 - very satisfied 4 3 2 1 - not satisfied 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses 5 - very satisfied 4 3 2 1 - not satisfied Attachment 1 Page 3 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 4 / 10 26.79%75 73.21%205 Q4 Have you ever thought about running for City Council? Answered: 280 Skipped: 2 Total 280 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses Yes No Attachment 1 Page 4 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 5 / 10 23.57%66 76.43%214 Q5 If these positions were compensated would that make you more willing to run for City Council? Answered: 280 Skipped: 2 Total 280 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses Yes No Attachment 1 Page 5 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 6 / 10 76.16%214 23.84%67 Q6 Prior to reading this survey summary, were you aware that the Mayor and Council positions in Springfield were non- compensated, volunteer positions? Answered: 281 Skipped: 1 Total 281 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses Yes No Attachment 1 Page 6 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 7 / 10 Q7 The proposed compensation for Springfield is $500 per month for the mayor and $300 per month for each councilor. If this proposal is approved, the total fiscal impact to the city is approximately $27,000 per year. Background: Eugene voters amended that city’s charter in 2000 to allow monthly pay for its elected councilors. The mayor and councilors are paid $1,815 and $1,210 a month, respectively. Cottage Grove, Lane County’s third-largest city, doesn’t pay its councilors. Lane County’s five commissioners are paid at least $6,191 monthly, plus receive full county retirement and health care benefits. (Source Register Guard) Do you think that amount proposed for Springfield is: Answered: 280 Skipped: 2 1. Too much 2. Too little 3. About right 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Attachment 1 Page 7 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 8 / 10 19.64%55 42.50%119 37.86%106 Total 280 Answer Choices Responses 1. Too much 2. Too little 3. About right Attachment 1 Page 8 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 9 / 10 76.07%213 23.93%67 Q8 Would you support a Charter amendment in favor of council compensation? Answered: 280 Skipped: 2 Total 280 Yes No 0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100% Answer Choices Responses Yes No Attachment 1 Page 9 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors of Springfield 10 / 10 Q9 Do you have any other comments, questions, or concerns? Answered: 101 Skipped: 181 Attachment 1 Page 10 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors 1 / 6 Q9 Do you have any other comments, questions, or concerns? Answered: 101 Skipped: 181 #Responses Date 1 If we truly wish to have an engaged council and mayor to support the evolution of the community, it's time to pay them accordingly. 4/17/2014 2:27 PM 2 lets put some money back into our schools and get programs for kids that dont cost. That way maybe we wont have the problem of kids running the streets or even better lets go to year round school so those schools are used more instead of sitting empty all summer long 4/17/2014 8:31 AM 3 I feel that the positions are ones of service and the introduction of payments would lead to unsatisfactory conditions for our city. Continuing in the path of service ensures that the city's interest is placed first and foremost. They should continue being reimbursed for travel expenses and such. 4/17/2014 8:13 AM 4 ALL Public officials are over paid. Tell us, how muck were the "founding fathers" paid. Public servants are exactly that "servants". The city of Eugene is in financial ruin, we shouldn't look to them or any other town as an example. 4/16/2014 10:02 PM 5 Our level-headed council is the reason we love our town!4/16/2014 4:36 PM 6 Civil servants who get paid are more likely to keep working as civil servants just to get paid. Civil servants should do the job because they want to make a difference, not to collect a paycheck. 4/15/2014 3:02 PM 7 I think, for the most part, the Mayor and council do a good job. They give a great deal of their time and energy for the betterment of this city. I see no reason they should not be compensated for what they do. 4/15/2014 10:14 AM 8 Yes 4/14/2014 9:40 PM 9 They deserve even more!!! Hope this passes!!4/14/2014 6:21 PM 10 $750 for the mayor & $500 for each councilor. (My opinion and I would vote for it)4/14/2014 6:05 PM 11 I am conflicted. I both realize that the proposed compensation is WELL below minimum wage but also feel the city council positions should be non-compensated, volunteer only. 4/14/2014 4:24 PM 12 The person is aware going onto it thaqt it isnt a paid position. Money could be used else where.4/9/2014 6:29 PM 13 I wish the City would take back control of the Springfield Museum or give it to Willamalane, keeping the current Director. That board is a laugh with a power hungry President. 4/9/2014 3:29 PM 14 Last thing we need is more professional politicians at the city level, in my opinion.4/9/2014 2:31 PM 15 This compensation is certainly appropriate for the many hours of meetings and events that the Mayor and council members are expected to attend to represent their constituents. 4/8/2014 4:21 PM 16 Money should not be a factor to Volunteer. What are the expenses occurred to be on City Council. How many REAL hours in the course of actual duties... I was disturbed in the 'amount proposed' that there was not a 'none' section. 4/8/2014 9:00 AM 17 Usually, a person can sell 4 items; time, expertise, services or a product. Of the 4, time is always the most costly to an individual or their family. To ask a person to give their time away in public service (which can often be bitter sweet) is asking them take something out of their lives which they can never get back. I see no valid reason for that type of "high risk" investment of one's time without monetary compensation for service in public office. Michael Clement Partner/GM Puddle Jumper Towing 4/8/2014 4:45 AM 18 Once compensation is permitted for the mayor and council members, we are afraid the compensation rate will escalate rapidly in the upcoming years. What is to prevent the raising of the compensation rate? 4/7/2014 7:51 PM 19 The Mayor and city counselors had done a very good job in a difficult economic climate. They should be compensated for their time. 4/7/2014 2:29 PM Attachment 1 Page 11 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors 2 / 6 20 We (they) know the compensation level when they ran for (wanted) the position. $500 & $300 per month doesn't sound like a lot but where would it end up// - Just like sales tax that is promised to only start at 1%. We have too many prodessional (paid) politicians, without stating these at only $500 & $300 per month. As Item #7 above points out other politicains are paid and get health benefits -- that does not get either the City of Eugene or Lane County better "public representatives". 4/7/2014 2:17 PM 21 I thought budgets were tight and you want to allocate more tax payer dollars? don't you think the perks of knowing city business allows these folks to take advantage of situations already? 4/7/2014 1:31 PM 22 This makes so much sense to me~ thanks for asking!4/7/2014 9:41 AM 23 It is extremely difficult to recruit qualified people to run for local office. A little pay might entice some to do so. Besides,for all their efforts and the abuse elected officials endure they should receive some form of compensation. 4/7/2014 8:48 AM 24 It should be an honor. Why don't they act like the Senate and congress and give it to yourselves. 200,000 a year sounds sufficient Be corrupt like the rest of government 4/7/2014 5:55 AM 25 I served on the council 35 years ago...willing to make the commitment when there was no compensation. Then as now, out of pocket expenses were significant...and could be reimbursed. However, (and I suspect true today) council members only filed for major out-of-town travel and meeting expenses, just absorbing the many 5, 10 and 20 dollar local expenses. I don't know that a $300 monthly stipend will be a "tipping point" to influence candidates to run, I suspect the time commitment and the loss of privacy and personal time are greater concerns. HOWEVER, I'm sure councilors will appreciate the suggested token contributions toward their service and their expenses. 4/6/2014 8:36 PM 26 citizen involvement in government is based on voluntary time. Keep it that way...no funding incentive for being a counselor...just high local government interest 4/6/2014 4:34 PM 27 The wife and I will support this as long as this does not change the charter to where the public would not be allowed to vote on any further compensation for the Mayor or Counsel members. Personally, we do not want a professional Mayor or Counsel to administer this city, which looks like is happening in Eugene. 4/6/2014 12:00 PM 28 GLENWOOD-DOWN TOWN ARE NOT THE ONLY AREA,S OF THIS TOWN THAT NEED A LOT OF CARE..I KNOW WHAT YOUR FOCUS IS BUT HOW ABOUT A BETTER EFFORT TO TAKE DOWN THE OLD WINCO ON MOHAWK AS A EXAMPLE,,THANKS,,,, 4/6/2014 11:18 AM 29 Amount of compensation is tricky. We do well without professional politicians, but the complexities of governing dictate a need for compensation in today's world. You could pay more, but it must remain a "token" amount and not a living wage. This is a good thing!! 4/6/2014 11:12 AM 30 Springfield voters may be hard pressed to pass compensation - but $500 and $300 are too low for the work that is being done for Springfield. When I read about this issue in the paper, my first thought was $1000 and $800. Thank you for your service. Good luck. 4/6/2014 10:33 AM 31 If councilman positions are compensated then they should be held to very high standards and if one is say caught drunk driving, with prescription drugs, threatening police officers with their positions, asking favors from police captains to get out of procedure. They need to be immediately removed from their position permanently and repay all compensation received and prosecuted to the fullest of the law. 4/6/2014 10:07 AM 32 Whatever happened to the idea of "Community Service"? With the repeated budget and revenue concerns, I find this proposal selfish on behalf of the City Leadership and is not in alignment with the needs of our community. I will not support this initiative. 4/6/2014 10:02 AM 33 Although we have quality representitives here in Springfield, we would gather a larger amount of intrrest in city pride if we paid our counselors, and more of them to choose from. I think a thousand a month isn't too much to ask for to pay someone who takes their time off to help make this city better. Eugene wastes more than this on homeless studies yearly. We could put it to good use. 4/6/2014 9:26 AM 34 I would not want their compensation to be open ended (no ceiling). Kind of stop gap measures. I would have to see language to this effect to vote yes. This is to prevent future wrong doing by those in office (as seen locally at Lane County recently). 4/6/2014 8:51 AM 35 In the tradition of full disclosure, I would like to see that it was always open to the public. I know they work very long and hard for no compensation. 4/6/2014 8:07 AM Attachment 1 Page 12 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors 3 / 6 36 I do not want to see City Councilors or the Mayor compensated. If you do not want to volunteer for this job, step down and let someone else do it. From what I've seen, pay leads to more pay or corruption. 4/6/2014 8:04 AM 37 VOLUNTEER A volunteer in legal terms is a person performing services for a nonprofit organization, a nonprofit corporation, a hospital, or a governmental entity without compensation, other than reimbursement for actual expenses incurred. The term includes a volunteer serving as a director, officer, trustee, or direct service volunteer. I do not think we should change the Springfield Charter to compensate the Mayor or City Council members for their time. Once we start to pay them for their time they are no longer volunteer's but become employee's. We start at $500 and $300 a month but then they join the union and it goes to $5000 and $3000 a month plus PERS and other benefits. I remember in the 70”s we had THREE county commissioners and they were all VOLUNTEER'S They then started getting compensation and became employee's. They are now earning over $100,000 a year counting salaries PERS and other benefits. Yes we did get more people to run as we now have FIVE. Money does motivate people but also costs us taxpayers if they are public employee's . Can the citizens of Springfield really afford this. 4/6/2014 7:21 AM 38 I'm fairly certain that these elected officials understand that these are volunteer positions. If not, add the word "UNPAID" in bold print, at the top and bottom of the application page! 4/6/2014 5:59 AM 39 Good pay is needed to attract other candidates.4/5/2014 9:55 PM 40 If you pay people. You get people who do it for the pay. It's just that simple.4/5/2014 6:35 PM 41 These individuals know going into an elwction they will not be paid. It is their choice to serve. They should NOT be paid, just as the volunteer work I do at my church and children's school should not be paid. 4/5/2014 1:45 PM 42 My opinion is heavily influenced by the political abuses of taxpayer rights and dollars on a regular basis and on a very large scale. If rampant political corruption weren't so common I'm sure my opinion on this matter would be different. It's kind of like when one naughty kid ruins the honor system for everyone else. 4/5/2014 10:08 AM 43 Time spent serving the city shouldn't necessarily be a sacrifice, nor should it be a windfall.4/5/2014 8:57 AM 44 I don't know if I would support a charter amendment or not. It seems like when it "costs the city" anything then that cost is passed on to us somehow and to be honest we are at the point we can't do much more. On the other hand I don't have any complaints with the mayor or councilors and think they do a lot on their own time and expense. 4/5/2014 7:20 AM 45 Springdield has come so far in the last couple years. I am proud to live here. That is in thanks to the mayor and city councel. The clean up projects are amazing. We are bringing in new businesses and jobs. They deserve to be rewarded for the hard work.put it like this...I normally do not vote but for this I would show up and vote. 4/5/2014 7:09 AM 46 I believe the Mayor should be compensated at $1200/month and City Councilor's $750.4/4/2014 10:12 PM 47 The entire idea of this being a non-compensated position is to make sure it is NOT a career. Cities need a variety of leadership or they will become stagnant...exactly what we have in Eugene today. 4/4/2014 8:59 PM 48 Council positions are important to represent City residents but they are not staff people who are necessarily trained to be managers. Paying councilors starts a slippery slope for increased pay and benefits (like the County). Elections are a lousy way to hire managers -- I'd rather have the City Manager be responsible for the work of the City and have the councilors be the representatives of the citizens who discuss policy, not run the City. 4/4/2014 5:56 PM 49 I feel that compensation for council will create a conflict-of-interest situation in which I will feel less likely to trust that they are representing my interests as a citizen. For example, I already feel that County Commissioners are more likely to represent the interests of those who get them re- elected than the citizens. I would hate for that to happen here in Springfield. That said, they spend a lot of time working on our issues and should be reimbursed for expenses. However, they should remain volunteers. 4/4/2014 4:42 PM 50 I think the Lane Co. Commissioners should get paid A LOT less & somehow some of that money should be used to pay the Springfield mayor/city councilors more than the amount proposed above! 4/4/2014 3:53 PM 51 Better prioritizing, delegating to paid staff, and don't get sucked into EUgene time wasting issues.4/4/2014 3:02 PM Attachment 1 Page 13 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors 4 / 6 52 I do believe when a political position is volunteer, the elected officials tend to represent the people. When it is paid it becomes a career and what do I say to get votes. The whole passion changes. How ever, when some one takes this many hours a week out of there time, it needs to be compensated 4/4/2014 2:14 PM 53 This is not a Strong Mayor system of government. It's a City Manager System. Those people are volunteers, not paid employees. Eugene was just plain stupid to approve that type of compensation. 4/4/2014 2:12 PM 54 Lower the amount - $100 a month for council and $300 for mayor 4/4/2014 1:47 PM 55 Thank you for all the time and energy you put into your jobs/community/volunteering 4/4/2014 1:45 PM 56 I am very proud to live in Springfield where our city officials, elected or hired by the city, are so on top of what needs to be done, are efficient and wish every community could have what we have here in our city. Chris Stole 4/4/2014 1:18 PM 57 Raise this issue again when it becomes impossible to fill a position.4/4/2014 1:05 PM 58 I assume they are reimbursed for out of pocket expense that should be enough.4/4/2014 12:59 PM 59 I am in 100% favor of compensating them. They need to be! Their time is worth something. However, positions like these should not be compensated as much as they are in Eugene. Give the hard working folks who volunteer in Springfield some compensation. 4/4/2014 12:45 PM 60 I would only support money given for child care and out of city transportation. " out of pocket expenses". Any other thing is a slippery slope. Public service is PUPLIC service. 4/4/2014 12:42 PM 61 I would support a Charter amendment to approve this amount of money to be paid out. However, that being said, I would not support a Councilor who has broken the law to receive my tax money. 4/4/2014 12:40 PM 62 these positions should remain non compensated. they ran for and were elected as volunteers and should remain as such. I see no reason for them not to be reimbursed for reasonable and approved expenses but that is all. 4/4/2014 12:15 PM 63 I would compensate the mayor but not the councilors. The mayor has to spend way more time. Or alternately, compensate them for expenses on some kind of budgeted, controlled basis. 4/4/2014 12:10 PM 64 I love living in Springfield and that we have our own jail(which is not walk through), I am part of the Spfd Greeters and have dedicated my life to working with at risk youth as the Chaplain at the Lane County juvenile Detention for 25 years as volunteer. If needed I will serve. 4/4/2014 11:55 AM 65 Being a member of the city council is a prestigious privilege that I do not believe should be compensated. 4/4/2014 11:38 AM 66 Mayor's work is so close to full time and also a barrier to employment for an active Mayor, I think a $2,000 payment is more in order and that the Mayor would be eligible ofr Insurance and retirement benefits. I am less concerned about Councilor is primarily legislative in nature and not a barrier to regular employment. While i am OK with them recieving a stipend or expense reimbursement/ per diem, I am less concerned about this issue compared with the work load and hardship imposed upon the Mayor's. 4/4/2014 11:29 AM 67 I think the amounts should be double what is proposed. I believe it would encourage more competition, possibly resulting in a higher competency level. 4/4/2014 11:28 AM 68 Thank you, public servants!4/4/2014 11:25 AM 69 Go Springfield !!!!4/4/2014 11:18 AM 70 Pay them at least what Eugene Councilors & Mayor receive 4/4/2014 11:17 AM 71 $500 and $300 per month is too low for the amount of time and effort for these postions. What about $1,200 and $1,000 per month with NO benefits? Robert Scherer, Springfield Buick 4/4/2014 11:15 AM 72 I believe compensation is a great idea. I hope some wackos don't run just for the $$$. :)4/4/2014 11:13 AM Attachment 1 Page 14 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors 5 / 6 73 I also serve voluntarily on a local board and feel that compensation takes away from the intent of giving back to the community. I serve because I want to make a difference, I want to set the example for others to follow after me. I want others to also want to volunteer because they feel the duty or need. Not because they want compensated. The current council may feel differently than future councils will feel. The dollar figure will most certaninly raise over time, eventually making it a major concern with those who may or may not choose to run for office. Keep it simple, keep the intent pure. Money will change things for the worse, as time goes by, Maybe not right away, maybe not for years, but once we start down that road, we cannot turn back. 4/4/2014 11:12 AM 74 Any increase in compensation should either be approved by the citizens or tied to an inflation index that is part of the amendment. 4/4/2014 11:08 AM 75 I strongly support this initiative.4/4/2014 11:07 AM 76 Although Springfield has a population of 60,000 versus Eugene at 157,000, it should not be offering 28 % and 25% of Eugene's compensation. I think it needs to be higher in order to be fair, perhaps as much as 60% or 75% of Eugene's level. G. Bosch 541-530-0001 4/4/2014 11:06 AM 77 I support compensation except for Councilor Ralston.4/4/2014 11:06 AM 78 The amount is to little but a start, if needed to have a better compensation later.4/4/2014 10:56 AM 79 Mayor and Councilor duties are significant! They should be totally compensated. Maybe not so much that someone views the position as a paying job. It should still be viewed as community service, but they very much deserve compensation. 4/4/2014 10:56 AM 80 I do not live in Springfield, so I can't vote on this. I'd assumed mayor and council were paid, similar to Eugene. I'm very surprised at how much the county commissioners are paid. 4/4/2014 10:51 AM 81 I would support doubling the proposed amount. I feel this compensation would tend to attract diverse as well as qualified public servants. 4/4/2014 10:51 AM 82 We have been lucky with the last two mayors. At some point we may not be so lucky and the ability to pay may get us the candidates we want/need. 4/4/2014 10:51 AM 83 Go for it!!4/4/2014 10:51 AM 84 Thanks for asking!4/4/2014 10:51 AM 85 The mayor and city council have my highest regard for their commitment to the City and its citizens. 4/4/2014 10:50 AM 86 The city councilors do not put in 25-30 hours each week (on average) and it's insulting that they are telling us that. 4/4/2014 10:46 AM 87 Compensation is okay as long they can not vote raises in compensation for themselves. Public vote for that. 4/3/2014 6:04 PM 88 no 4/3/2014 3:30 PM 89 You get what you pay for. The fact that council positions are uncompensated means WAY too many citizens are excluded from even considering devoting their precious time to civic engagement. Councilors should be compensated -the issues are complex, the time commitment is heavy, and that service has real value that should be reflected in compensation. I don't think payment should be high enough to reflect a substitute for a well-paying job, but probably could be higher than the proposal without being a financial burden to the city. 4/3/2014 3:24 PM 90 I don't want compensation to be so high it makes it feasible for someone less than retirement age to become a career politician. Personally, I would run for a council position because of my passion to make Springfield a better place, not because of how much I was paid. I suppose you could offer me enough that I would do it for the money, but that would have to be substantially more than a county commissioner gets paid so I don't see that ever happening. 4/3/2014 2:33 PM 91 We have City Councilors and a Mayor that have integrity and I suspect the voters in Springfield know that and re-elect them because of that. Compensation for the time they spend away from jobs and families need to reflect the sacrifices they are making for our city. 4/3/2014 2:21 PM 92 With people's lives so busy anymore and time being a valuable resource, I think that compensation for that resource is right and fair. Knowing something of the city's finances I don't want it to become onerous for our citizens, but it may be the very thing that would encourage more qualified candidates to run. At the same time, it is not so much compensation that it wold be the only reason someone would run! 4/3/2014 1:21 PM Attachment 1 Page 15 of 16 Your Thoughts on a Charter Amendment to Allow for Compensation for the Mayor and Councilors 6 / 6 93 Honestly, I think it's too little, but you all know what Springfield will pass better than I do. It'd be nice if public positions were full-time and they were only concentrated on the people's interests instead of holding down a job AND listening to concerns. I do think this is a great step in the right direction, though. 4/3/2014 12:59 PM 94 I think the may or and councilors should be paid $1000.00 per month and receive health benefits from the city. This incentive would surely bring more candidates forward during elections & fairly compensate the current council for a ton of work on behalf of the city and its citizens. 4/3/2014 12:42 PM 95 If there were a better compensation and possibly benefits, more people might consider running for council/mayor. It's difficult to keep a full or even part time job or business with the hours needed to be an effective city councilor. $300/$500 is not near enough compensation. 4/3/2014 12:24 PM 96 Do you have to live in Springfield to run for a council position.4/3/2014 11:45 AM 97 I appreciate what the council and mayor do. NOt always happy with participants but that is why we vote. 4/3/2014 11:42 AM 98 I would like to see the interest of the people met. Keep Springfield out of big business. work for locally owned company. Keep our money local. 4/3/2014 10:29 AM 99 If Dave Ralston was not on the council I would consider a compensation package. As it stands, his [Dave Ralston’s] presence is a distraction and an embarrassment to the city. For the Mayor, City mgr, the rest of the council and ALL of Springfield’s citizens to even consider an option where he is given money in addition to being allowed to stay in office are horrifying and disrespectful to the office. I cannot in good conscience support this concept and I hope others affected by his [Dave Ralston’s] actions and behaviors’ will join me in not supporting this proposed action. 4/3/2014 8:49 AM 100 While I wouldn't be moved to run for council, I see that it might encourage others to try. I hope this passes -- it takes steps like this to show it is important to taking leadership roles in our community. 4/3/2014 8:39 AM 101 My only concern is that if the amount is ever to be raised, it go to a city vote. I hate it when groups vote in their own pay raises. Seems very shady. 4/3/2014 8:01 AM Attachment 1 Page 16 of 16 MEMORANDUM OFFICE OF CITY ATTORNEY THIS DOCUMENT IS EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE AS AN ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE OREGON PUBLIC RECORDS LAW ORS 192.660(2)(h), ORS 40.225, ORS 192.502(9) ORS 192.660(2)(f), ORS 192.502(1) DATE: March 14, 2014 TO: Springfield Planning Commission acting as Committee for Citizen Involvement FROM: Mary Bridget Smith, City Attorney Elizabeth Berg, Public Law Extern RE: Stipend for City Council - Compensation Scheme Options The City of Springfield is considering changing their Charter to provide city council members with a stipend for their service. Section 24 of the current Charter provides that: "No Councilor or Mayor may receive compensation for serving in that capacity. The Council may prescribe a plan for reimbursing Mayor and City Council for expenses they incur in serving the city." To begin, this memorandum will address the expenses that a council stipend is designed to cover in comparison to reimbursement expenses. That will be followed by a brief discussion of the different compensation schemes that other Oregon cities have adopted. I. COUNCIL STIPENDS VERSUS COUNCIL REIMBURSEMENT A council stipend may be designed to supplement, rather than supplant, expense reimbursement. Currently, Springfield City Council members may receive reimbursement for expenses incurred while on "city-related business" which may include cell phone and Internet expenses, out-of-town travel expenses such as meals and lodging, and mileage to and from Council meetings. SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL OPERATING POLICIES & PROCEDURES, Ch. VIII,§ 3 (2012). Springfield may want to explicitly identify what activities or expenses the council stipend is intended to cover. For example, Tigard explicitly provides that the stipend covers council members attendance to regularly scheduled meetings. TIGARD MUNICIPAL CODE § 2.44.020. Hillsboro and Bandon, on the other hand simply state that the stipend is for the members' "services" or efforts on behalf of the city. See CITY COUNCIL RULES,§ S(3); BANDON CHARTER, Ch. VI, § 22. II. COMPENSATION SCHEMES FOR CITY COUNCIL Each city in Oregon may choose to provide compensation for its city officials, and many Oregon cities have chosen to provide compensation while others have not. See generally ELECTED OFFICIAL STIPENDS AND BENEFITS at 1-5 (League of Oregon Cities, 2006). Approximately one-third of cities in Oregon provide stipends for elected officials. Of those cities, 70% have a Attachment 2, Page 1 of 3 March 14, 2014 Page 2 population of over 5,000. Springfield, with an estimated population of 55,000, is one of the largest Oregon cities to not provide compensation for its mayor or council members. 1 Compensation is generally in the form of a stipend paid bimonthly, monthly, or quarterly. The stipend can be a designated value that is defined in the charter, or the value can fluctuate year-to-year depending on budget or other variables.2 The stipend value that each Council member is entitled to may be fixed (1) by voters through a charter amendment; (2) by the city council; or (3) by the city council with budget committee oversight. a. Stipend value fixed by compensation provision in City Charter Cities that have followed this approach include Ashland, Astoria, Baker City, Bend, Klamath Falls, and West Linn. Bend, for example, provides in its charter that councilors are entitled to a $200 monthly stipend. BEND CHARTER, Ch. IV,§ 13. This approach is relatively inflexible and makes it difficult for the council to adjust the stipend because the council must go through the charter amendment process to change the stipend value. On the other hand, this type of provision may increase voter confidence that council members are not abusing council stipends. In contrast to the typical compensation provision, Eugene has taken a unique approach. Eugene's charter provides that as of 2001, city councilors will receive a stipend of $1,000 per month and that "[a]t the beginning of each fiscal year thereafter, the stipends authorized shall be adjusted by percentage increase or decrease" according to the Consumer Price Index. EUGENE CHARTER, Ch. VI,§ 18(1)-(2). This type of provision allows the stipend to increase with inflation, but also allows the voters to set the base compensation value. b. Council authorized to fix council stipend value Compensation may also be fixed by the city council. For example, Tigard's Charter provides that, "The compensation for the services of each Officer and employees shall be the amount fixed by the Council." TIGARD CHARTER, Ch. 3,§ 11. This scheme provides the council with the most flexibility to change the stipend as necessary to appropriately compensate the council members. However, allowing the council to set their own stipend may be a compensation scheme that does not sit well with voters. c. Budget committee authorized to fix stipend value The budget committee may also fix compensation. Cities that follow this approach include Albany, Bandon, Beaverton, Gold Beach, Halfway, Hillsboro, and Troutdale. Hillsboro provides that: 1 Gresham and Medford with estimated populations of 95,000 and 70,000, respectively, do not provide compensation for elected officials. Cities with populations comparable to or greater than Springfield that provide compensation include Eugene, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Bend, Tigard, and Corvallis. 2 For example, Bend provides in its charter that council members will receive a $200 monthly stipend. BEND CHARTER, Ch. IV, § 13 (1995). In contrast, Saint Helens and Eugene provide more flexibility and allow the stipend value to change annually. SAINT HELENS CHARTER, Ch. VIII, § 36 (providing that compensation will be approved as part of the cities annual budget); EUGENE CHARTER, Ch. VI, § 18(1)-(2) (providing that compensation will be increased each fiscal year according to the Consumer Price Index). Attachment 2, Page 2 of 3 March 14, 2014 Page 3 "The Mayor and Council establish the parameters of City policy governing Mayor and Council member compensation. The Mayor and Council may be compensated for their efforts on behalf of the City in addition to the expense reimbursement . . . . Actual compensation amounts shall be reviewed, consistent with Council policy, through the City's annual budget process." HILLSBORO CITY COUNCIL RULES, § S(3). Likewise, the St. Helens Charter provides that, "The council must authorize the compensation of city elected and appointed officers ... as part of its approval of the annual budget."3 SAINT HELENS CHARTER, Ch. VIII§ 36. This is the most balanced of the compensation schemes, providing the council with the discretion to request a stipend increase, but allowing for non-council oversight to approve a stipend increase. N:\City\COUNCIL\Policies And Procedures\Memo RE Stipend Vs Reimbursement.Doc 3 For fiscal year 2013-2014, Hillsboro city council members will receive a stipend of $500 a month. CITY OF ST. HELENS ANNUAL BUDGET 45 (Budget Committee, 2013). However,council members are authorized to receive a stipend that is between 10% and 15% of the salary received by county commissioners. Id. (noting that the $500 stipend is less than that value). Attachment 2, Page 3 of 3