City council members and mayors across Texas are looking at fatter paychecks as charter review commissions push for heftier compensation to attract candidates from more diverse economic backgrounds. In San Antonio, a recommendation for a massive salary increase for the city's council members and mayor has been scaled back following an outcry from the public. Meanwhile, in Dallas, city council pay could potentially double if voters approve a new proposal.
Initially, the San Antonio Charter Review Commission, meeting discontent from the locals, proposed tripling council salaries from $45,722 to a whopping $125,000, and boosting the mayor's pay from $61,725 to $140,000, FOX San Antonio reported. The proposed figures have since been moderated to $80,000 for council members and $95,000 for the mayor, still snatching the second-highest pay rate in the state behind Austin.
“The question was, how do we find the balance between making a change that reflects the value of a council position starts to begin to lower the barriers to entry for those that want to participate in the process, and still is responsible and appropriate for the larger community,” co-chair David Zammiello remarked on the commission's adjustment. Despite the previous shock with the original numbers, District Six Councilwoman Melissa Cabello-Havrda considers the new proposal much more palatable, yet she insists that current council members, including herself, should not see the raise should it come into effect.
Moving to Dallas, the stakes in government compensation are running high. The City of Dallas Charter Review Commission is recommending a pay spike, pushing the mayor's salary from $80,000 to $145,000, and city council salaries from $60,000 to $125,000 annually, NBC DFW reported.“My goal was to make it so anyone, regardless of economic status, can serve their community as a councilperson,” Stuart Campbell of the Charter Review Commission wrote, advocating for a pay structure to foster a more economically diverse city council.
The proposals for increased pay hinge on the prerequisite of council approval, followed by a citywide voter verdict in November. The approach responds to concerns over economic barriers that tilt the playing field toward the financially privileged. “The folks in the downtown skyscrapers have different interests than those living paycheck to paycheck. Being poor shouldn’t bar a person from serving on council, but our current salary structure incentivizes mostly rich folks to run for office,” Campbell added. While critics worry about the use of taxpayer dollars on council salaries, the revised proposals remain framed as efforts to democratize city council representation and ensure city leadership is not exclusively a playground for the wealthy.
