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Charter reviewers debate mayor—s pay, range and methods for setting salary
Summary
The committee discussed multiple options for setting Canal Winchester—s mayoral salary — fixed amount, automatic adjustments tied to indexes or the city administrator salary, council determination within a charter set range, and possible OPERS-style models — with members suggesting floors and ceilings to guide future councils.
At the April 2 meeting the Canal Winchester Charter Review Committee spent substantial time discussing how the charter should handle the mayor—s salary, including whether to set a fixed number, tie pay to an index or another city salary, or let city council set pay within a charter-established range.
Staff member Samantha said comparative data are variable across nearby cities: "Grove City's mayor makes $40,000; Grandview Heights' mayor makes $72,500, I believe." She also reported the current Canal Winchester mayor salary is approximately $41,200 this year. Committee members proposed several approaches: a simple fixed number that grows at a set annual percentage (example discussed: $65,000 with a 2% annual bump and five-year review), tying the mayor—s pay to a percentage of the city administrator—s salary, using an OPERS-like model for elected officials, or delegating salary setting to council within a charter-defined range.
The mayor, speaking to the committee, said raising pay affects the candidate pool: "To me, I think it's not a ribbon cutting position. It's an administrative position." Several commissioners suggested ranges they would accept as a floor and ceiling; proposed floors discussed included $40,000 and $50,000, with ceilings discussed in the $60,000 to $90,000 range and a suggested median of $75,000. Members also discussed whether benefits or fringe (for example PERS pickup) should be included in the charter language or addressed separately in council policy.
Committee directions to staff included compiling comparative salary data from Central Ohio communities, providing the Ohio Municipal League salary survey, and producing draft charter language that could either set a specific amount, set a floor and ceiling, or leave a blank range for council to fill. No final charter language was adopted at the meeting.
ENDING: Staff will return comparative surveys and draft language options for the next meeting; committee members will consider specific floor/ceiling numbers before the next session.
