Commission debate and public comments focus on pay for charter commissioners and public‑input provisions; amended proposal withdrawn for notice issues

Commissioners spent substantial time discussing two linked proposals on commissioner pay and on how the county sets elected officials’ salaries. Public commenters and commissioners also debated how the charter should require and record public input.

Commissioner Maya Morales introduced a reworked version of proposed amendment 11 that would remove language stating charter review commissioners “shall serve without salary” and would instead allow future charter review commissioners to be paid; the memo presented to the commission included two options and example math using multipliers of the state minimum wage and an alternative tied to the existing salary commission. Morales said the proposal aimed to reduce economic barriers for people who cannot afford unpaid public service and to offer a predictable framework for compensation.

Commissioner John Westerfield, a public speaker, opposed paying commissioners, saying the role was understood to be unpaid…