Fountain Hills council asks staff to return with stipend language; majority favors raising council pay but delays implementation

Council members discussed whether to update the monthly council stipend, which had not been adjusted for decades in nominal terms. Town staff provided a historical comparison and options tied to equivalence with past purchasing power. Council members expressed differing preferences on timing and optics.

Several council members said the stipend should be adjusted to reflect inflation since the last change; others said it is awkward for elected officials to raise their own pay and argued any change should take effect for a future council or be timed to reduce perception concerns. Town Attorney Aaron said there is precedent for prior councils doing near‑term adjustments and that the council has authority to set stipend levels, but legal advice cautioned about optics and the usual practice of waiting a term.

After discussion the majority signaled support for an adjustment on a future effective date. Workshop direction was that staff should budget for a stipend increase (the workshop conversation used a future‑value calculation equal to the staff COLA approach), but that council wished implementation to start in January rather than immediately in July. Staff said they will bring formal ordinance or resolution language and the implementation timing for action at a regular meeting so the decision will be memorialized with the budget process.

What’s next: staff will draft formal language reflecting the stipend change and the council’s directed implementation date and return to a regular council meeting for formal action; public comment will be allowed as required by normal agenda procedures.