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Lewiston council directs staff to draft ordinance on mayor and council pay; sets draft figures for review
Summary
After discussion of state requirements and potential city administrator roles, the council directed staff to draft an ordinance establishing mayor and council compensation (proposed mayor salary $90,000; councilor $720/month; council president $800/month) for council review and possible adoption before the election deadline.
The Lewiston City Council on July 28 directed staff to draft an ordinance revising council compensation rules and setting specific pay levels, following a report from the compensation review committee and legal guidance on statutory requirements for fixed rates.
City Attorney Jennifer Tangano advised the council that Idaho law requires the city to set a fixed rate of compensation in a general election year and described timing constraints: an ordinance must be passed at least 75 days before the general election and published in advance of that deadline. Tangano also explained that compensation rates must be fixed amounts rather than contingent step scales unless each specific year’s amount is separately fixed in ordinance language.
Councilors discussed the compensation review committee’s recommendations and debated whether to adopt a multi‑step scale tied to tenure or to set single fixed rates for the coming period. Councilors also discussed whether to create or fund a city administrator position to handle day‑to‑day management and how that would relate to mayoral duties and pay.
After discussion, Council President Kleberg moved and Councilor Schroeder seconded a motion directing staff to draft an ordinance changing Lewiston City Code sections 2‑12(b) and 2‑22(b) to set mayor and council compensation. The motion directed staff to draft figures that the council requested as a starting point: a mayor salary of $90,000 for the next period, councilor pay of $720 per month, and council president pay of $800 per month. The motion passed on a roll call vote with Councilor Forsman recorded as a nay; other councilors voted aye.
City staff said the draft ordinance will be prepared and brought back for review at the council’s next meetings, with a target to have the ordinance published in time to meet statutory deadlines before the upcoming general election. Councilors noted they could amend the draft numbers at the next meeting and that any final compensation ordinance must be clearly fixed per statute.
Ending: Staff will draft the ordinance for council review; the council will consider the ordinance at upcoming meetings with an eye toward meeting the statutory publication deadline before the election period. No ordinance was adopted at the July 28 meeting.
