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Council forms small committee to review elected-official salaries ahead of filing deadline
Summary
Facing statutory timing constraints and OPERS thresholds, Medina finance committee members agreed to appoint a three-person committee to draft recommended changes to salaries for the mayor, finance director and council.
The Finance Committee voted to appoint a three-member group of councilmembers to review and propose salary changes for elected officials and select appointed positions, a task the full council must finalize before candidate filing begins.
City staff noted state law requires salaries for elective offices be set before the filing deadline (90 days before the election, typically early August). Finance Director Keith explained the municipal salaries also affect Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) crediting: current council pay is sufficient for one month’s retirement credit now but may fall below that threshold beginning in 2028 if unchanged. The committee emphasized the need to provide numbers in time to avoid emergency measures and agreed a small group would meet, prepare recommendations and return them to finance for final consideration.
Councilmembers Natalie (last name not specified) and one other member volunteered to serve on the committee with a third yet-to-be-named member. Committee members said the group should aim to present proposed salary schedules within two meetings so full council can act before the statutory deadline.
The committee discussed mechanics for setting multi-year increases (the practice of specifying future annual increases in advance), and staff reminded members that salaries are set “for the office, not the person,” meaning council cannot set pay to advantage or disadvantage a particular candidate.
The council did not set final salary figures at the meeting; the small committee will prepare a proposal and bring it back to finance and then council for action before the filing deadline.
