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Council amends pay proposal for aldermen and mayor, sets effective date and escalator; ordinance laid over
Summary
After extended debate, the West Bend Common Council accepted an amendment lowering the originally proposed increases and adding an annual 2% escalator; the amended ordinance (aldermen $5,720/year with $50/month expense allowance; mayor $10,285/year with $250/month) will return for a second reading on Feb. 17
After extensive debate on Feb. 3, the West Bend Common Council accepted an amendment to a proposed ordinance to repeal and replace municipal code section 2.11 (salaries and expense allowances for aldermen and the mayor) and laid the item over for its required second reading.
Under the amendment accepted by the council, aldermen would receive annual pay of $5,720 with a $50 monthly expense allowance (total $600/year) and the mayor would receive $10,285 annually with a $250 monthly expense allowance (total $3,000/year). The amendment also adds a 2% annual escalator that would take effect May 1, 2028; the ordinance as amended would take effect May 1, 2027. Alderman Allen moved the amendment and Alderman Sternig seconded it; the motion passed and the revised draft will be returned to council for final action.
Council members debated methodology (whether to use inflation since 2004, comparable municipalities, or a smaller percentage increase). One alderman argued for a larger increase to place the city in the middle of comparable municipalities; others said a smaller increase and an escalator would be more consistent with the city's recent approach to staff compensation and would be more palatable to voters. Council also discussed implementing an escalator clause and staff confirmed a fixed percentage increase written into the ordinance is legally permissible if set before an election cycle.
The amended ordinance was accepted and the council voted to lay it over; staff will produce a revised draft for the Feb. 17 meeting and the item will return for a second reading.
