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Council resumes discussion of elected‑official pay; city attorney salary comparators cited and outside study requested
Summary
Council revisited proposals to amend elected‑official salaries for future terms, including a recommended increase for the city attorney based on an International Municipal Lawyers Association benchmark; councilmembers asked for an independent outside study (Clemans Nelson) to supplement available data before finalizing changes.
Council members continued deliberations on proposed changes to elected‑official salaries for future terms, including potential increases to the mayor and city attorney salaries and adjustments to councilmember pay.
Councilmember Bowers summarized prior work and described salary comparisons showing the mayor’s salary has been unchanged since 2011 and council compensation has not kept pace with inflation. City Attorney (Lisonbee) presented research from a 2024 International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) survey that she said covered 334 responses (301 full‑time public‑sector law directors) and reported an average salary for jurisdictions of Gahanna’s population band. She identified Gahanna’s city‑attorney pay as low compared with peers and noted Reynoldsburg and Whitehall had higher salaries for elected city attorneys. Lisonbee recommended adjusting the salary to be more competitive and commensurate with duties for future terms.
Council members raised process questions. Mayor Chadwick said he objected to the council unilaterally setting its own pay without independent analysis and recommended the city’s HR function hire an independent consultant. Councilmember Jones and others noted the charter (Section 4.17) authorizes council to set elected‑official salaries and suggested any increases would take effect at the start of subsequent terms (for example, January 2026 for ward seats or January 2028 for at‑large positions, depending on seat timing). Councilmember Schnetzer asked the city attorney’s office to pursue permission to share the full IMLA report; Lisonbee said she had requested permission and would follow up. Council asked staff to request an estimate from Clemans Nelson for an independent compensation evaluation; the mayor affirmed a preference for an outside neutral study if council chooses to proceed.
No ordinance or final vote occurred; council agreed to continue the discussion and to return with any estimate from Clemans Nelson and the IMLA report permission outcome.
