Milwaukee's mayor and 15 Common Council members could receive an 8% pay raise once the next four-year term begins in 2028, followed by 2% annual increases after that. The Common Council's Finance and Personnel Committee recommended the new plan on a 3-2 vote, and it will next go before the full council.
A Revised Pay Plan
The plan that's now moving forward follows one the council considered back in 2024, which gave council members and then-Mayor Cavalier Johnson a 15% raise plus the option of matching future raises of up to 3% whenever general city employees got across-the-board pay bumps, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That structure took effect when the current term began in 2024, boosting council salaries to approximately $84,000, the council president's pay to $94,310.25, and Johnson's mayoral salary to $169,436.12.
The revised plan includes an 8% initial increase and 2% annual increases. The article discusses the pay rules.
Why the Number Landed at 8%
The proposed 8% initial increase is part of the revised plan. Finance Committee Chair Marina Dimitrijevic voted for the plan.
The raise would not take effect until the next term starts in 2028. The article does not detail a separate procedure for officials who do not want the increase.
Not Everyone on the Council Is on Board
The committee's 3-2 vote broke down with Dimitrijevic, Milele Coggs and Mark Chambers in favor, and Scott Spiker and Michael Murphy opposed. The earlier plan passed in 2024, with opponents objecting to higher pay for elected officials.
Milwaukee also has a newly instituted sales tax. Milwaukee's finances remain tight, according to the Wisconsin Justice Initiative.
Other City Offices Get a Fix, Too
The article also includes a separate discussion of compensation for other city offices.
The article also discusses compensation for the city attorney and separately for the mayor.
Before the 2024 raise plan, the mayor's salary had not changed since 2008, while the council was receiving its first increase in 15 years, according to the FOX6 News Milwaukee. A comparison cited in the discussion put mayoral pay at $197,000 in Columbus and $141,000 in Kansas City, while Indianapolis paid $95,000; Detroit paid council members $82,000.
The full Common Council is expected to take up the revised pay plan.
