Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Otsego council approves January special compensation after debate on eligibility
Summary
The City of Otsego City Council voted to approve special compensation for council activities in January 2025 after a multi-member discussion about eligibility criteria, precedent in city code and whether attendance at commission meetings and photo sessions qualifies for pay.
The City of Otsego City Council on Feb. 10 approved special compensation for council activities in January 2025 after a debate over which activities qualify for payment and whether the city code or precedent should be clarified.
Council members debated whether attendance at commission meetings, subcommittees, or separate events such as council photos should be eligible for the council’s special-pay line item. The council voted to approve the January 2025 special compensation during the regular meeting; the vote was taken by voice and carried (no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript).
City Administrator Adam said city code contains language on special compensation but that the council must approve pay on the agenda and can direct staff to amend city code if it wants a different standard. “There is city code language around this, but, ultimately, it references the needs to be placed on the agenda for council approval,” Adam said. “Staff really leaves this up to you to what should be applied for special meeting compensation or event attendance compensation.”
One council member urged consistency with historical practice and the existing dollar amounts, saying the pay amounts had not changed in many years and that members should be “on the same playing field.” Another council member said for the record that they had logged about 1,091 hours of council-related work the prior year and were paid roughly $6,000 for that time. That member described their time entries as following the ordinance.
Other members recommended delaying payment approval until the council completes a policy discussion so everyone has a shared understanding going forward. City Attorney Dave and the administrator both advised that any code change would apply prospectively and not retroactively to past pay.
After discussion, a motion to approve the January 2025 special compensation carried by voice vote. City staff will place a dedicated agenda item about special compensation and any possible city code changes on the council’s Feb. 26 special meeting for further discussion and possible direction to staff.
Ending: The council’s action cleared the January pay items as submitted; council members signaled they expect a follow-up policy discussion at the Feb. 26 meeting where specific standards for eligibility and any code revisions may be proposed.
