The Auburn City Council on July 22 approved an ordinance to raise compensation for the incoming council: Councilmembers will receive $15,000 annually and the mayor pro tem $18,000 annually, effective at the start of the next council term, on or about Nov. 1, 2026.

Councilman Bob Parsons, who introduced the proposal, said the increase was intended to align Auburn with comparable cities and to broaden the pool of candidates able to serve. Parsons presented comparative figures and proposed $15,000 per year for councilmembers and $18,000 for the mayor pro tem (he described the $18,000 figure as payment for the additional time the pro tem role requires).

The proposal prompted a pointed discussion at the meeting and during the Committee of the Whole on July 8. Several council members and members of the public expressed differing views. Councilman Griswold and Councilman Dawson both said they consider council service a public service and opposed a raise; Griswold said he worried that money should not be the primary motivation for holding office. Other council members said the increase is modest compared with similar cities, would recognize members' time commitments, and could remove a barrier for working parents or other would-be candidates.

Public commenters urged the council to adopt the raise, saying it was long overdue and could attract more diverse candidates. One speaker urged the council to use its role to clarify expectations and training requirements tied to increased compensation.

The clerk read the ordinance language into the record; during the meeting some numeric statements by staff and the clerk contained transcription errors reading monthly figures inconsistently with the figures discussed by council. Council discussion and the motion reflected Parsons' proposed annual amounts. The council voted to approve the compensation change; the ordinance will take effect at the start of the next council term in late 2026.