Finance committee forwards proposal to set councilors' pay at $7,500 and mayor at $15,000 to full council

The Homewood City finance committee voted Feb. 3 to forward to the full council a proposal to set annual compensation at $7,500 for each city council member and $15,000 for the mayor/council president. The committee also agreed that officials may be reimbursed for actual expenses, and that mileage reimbursement at the IRS rate will be available for travel.

Councilor Anders (identified in the meeting as the sponsor of the item) said the recommendation was based on benchmarking with neighboring cities and on an anticipated change in duties after Homewood's move to a city-manager form of government. Anders said the mayor's duties are expected to change once a full-time city manager is appointed, and she argued the mayor's salary should reflect the new role.

Other committee members discussed comparable pay in nearby municipalities. Committee members cited Vestavia Hills ($7,200 for councilors) and Hoover ($7,500 for councilors), while Alabaster and Trussville were cited in discussion as having higher mayor salaries (reports in the meeting referenced $13,000 and $12,000 in neighboring cities). Some members said they preferred no pay or a smaller increase; others said modest compensation helps remove a financial barrier to service.

A motion to set councilor pay at $7,500 annually and mayor pay at $15,000 passed in committee; the committee recorded the vote as in favor and instructed staff to place the ordinance on the full council agenda. The motion as passed also included language that city officials may receive reimbursement for actual expenses and mileage at the IRS rate.

Why it matters: the decision will affect the cost of elected service, may influence who can afford to run for council, and anticipates role changes associated with adopting a city-manager government. The item will be considered next by the full council.