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City to restore legally required compensation for Board of Equalization; council will revisit stipends for other boards later
Summary
City attorney’s office advised the Board of Equalization must be paid under state law; council approved placing a resolution on a future meeting to restore required payments and discussed whether to reintroduce stipends for other commissions as a budget matter.
The city attorney’s office told council that state law requires compensation for the Board of Equalization and that the city must provide the stipend and appropriate back pay. Council members discussed a 2023 decision to eliminate stipends for many boards, committees and commissions and heard requests from volunteers and the appointments chair to reconsider compensation for certain technically demanding bodies.
What happened next: Staff said a resolution to re‑establish the legally required Board of Equalization stipend and to provide back pay would be placed on an upcoming council agenda. Councilmembers discussed options for other boards (for example, planning commission, board of zoning appeals, utility commission and airport commission), noting practices vary across jurisdictions.
Budget and process: Staff advised any broader restoration of stipends outside the Board of Equalization would require discussion during the next budget cycle because no funding for expanded stipends is included in the recently adopted budget. Several councilmembers said they prefer to defer a broader policy decision and to evaluate stipend questions in the FY27 budget process if needed.
Outcome: The Board of Equalization stipend will be restored per state law and the council will consider whether to restore or change stipends for other boards at a later date with explicit budget authority and public discussion.
