San Antonio's Charter Review Commission has proposed a bold proposal suggesting significant salary jumps for City Council members, with figures ranging from $75,000 to $125,000. At the same time, the mayor's compensation could soar to between $90,000 and $140,000, as reported by the San Antonio Report. This suggestion has sparked debate, at a time when City Council remunerations stand at $45,722 annually and the Mayor earns $61,725.
The Commission has been delving into changes to the City Charter that require voter approval, and their recommendations have also included extending council terms from the current two-year stints to four years, the potential alterations would index these salaries to the median base salary of director-level city employees, which at this moment hits around $193,000, meaning council members’ pay would then adjust in tandem with these rates, the Commission’s recommendation would peg council members’ salaries at 39% to 65% of that median.
Amidst this backdrop, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, surprised by the commission’s recommendations, has made it clear that voters need to comprehend the value they're getting from their investment in city governance, "What I think is going to be important is for voters to see the value in where their money is going," he told the San Antonio Report. Councilman John Courage, suggesting a lower pay raise synched with the city's average family income of about $60,000, also voiced his advocacy for a more modest increase.
The Charter Review Commission is now inviting the public to share their insights and partake in the review process, through in-person comment sessions set for March and April or through digital and phone contributions; the Central Library will host these gatherings, where attendees can dive into discussions on topics like an independent ethics officer, city council compensation, city manager tenure, redistricting, and modernizing language to mirror current statutes, further details and comment-submission avenues are available at SASpeakUp.com/CharterReviewCommission, as documented by the City of San Antonio's official site.
"We look forward to hearing from the community at the upcoming sessions," remarked Charter Review Co-Chairs Bonnie Prosser Elder and David Zammiello, emphasizing the importance of community participation in molding the Charter's future, as every two years there's an opportunity to make amendments that add fresh procedures, protocols, and policies to better reflect the city's needs and progress.
