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Nogales council sets starting city clerk salary at $50,000
Summary
The Nogales City Council on Sept. 10 approved a $50,000 starting salary for the city clerk after a public discussion comparing local pay scales, League of Cities data and training plans for the new clerk.
The Nogales City Council voted on Sept. 10 in a special session to set a $50,000 starting salary for the city clerk position.
Council members said the decision aims to update a pay scale that several speakers described as outdated and to improve recruitment and equity across hires for comparable municipal roles.
City staff presented a draft position description and a salary range informed by online salary tools and the city’s prior starting pay. City Manager Mr. Kramer told the council the city clerk is a council‑appointed position and that the council must make the salary decision in public. Mayor Maldonado moved to set the starting salary at $50,000 and the motion was seconded; after discussion the motion carried.
Council debate focused on comparability and equity. Councilwoman Monter said the city should apply consistent rules when setting starting pay and called for fairness across hires: "we need to have some consistency across the board regardless if you're at will or not." Councilman Doyle described the current pay as behind other Arizona communities, saying "this position is way under what the rest of the state pays," and argued the $50,000 motion was still modest relative to some peers. Vice Mayor questioned some of the external figures presented by staff, noting differences between data sources; another council member said League of Cities data for Phoenix appeared much higher and may not be directly comparable to Nogales.
Members also discussed qualifications and step increases. Councilwoman Perra said she would support a $50,000 start only if minimum qualifications such as a bachelor’s degree in public administration were met, and otherwise suggested starting near $46,000–$47,000 with steps to $50,000 after certification. Staff noted a training program for the new city clerk and planned software and one‑on‑one training beginning in mid‑September.
The motion to set the starting salary at $50,000 carried in the public session. The transcript does not record a detailed, named roll call for this vote.
The council also discussed reviewing broader salary schedules as the city revamps its human resources processes and noted the League of Cities as a resource for future training and benchmarking.
