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McCall council signals 5.7% pay increase for elected officials; ordinance to be prepared
Summary
Councilors directed staff to prepare an ordinance that would raise council and mayor monthly pay by 5.7%—a change tied to the two-year CPI that would take effect Jan. 1, 2026—giving staff time to prepare required election-year notice.
City clerk Bessie Jo Wagner told the council that Idaho law permits elected officials to review and change their salaries during an election year and that any change must be adopted at a regular meeting within 75 days before the election (the clerk cited Aug. 21 as the deadline for the current cycle). Wagner recommended using the combined consumer-price-index change for 2024 (3.3%) and 2025 (2.4%), a total increase of 5.7%, consistent with the council’s historical practice of tying adjustments to CPI.
Under the recommendation discussed at the meeting, the council salary would rise from $902 per month to $953 per month and the mayor’s monthly amount would change from $11.27 to $11.91, with any ordinance to become effective Jan. 1, 2026. Council members discussed alternatives, including matching staff increases, but several members said they preferred sticking with the CPI-based process the council has used previously. The council did not adopt the ordinance at the meeting; members directed staff to draft the ordinance for consideration at the July 24 or Aug. 14 regular meeting so it could take effect Jan. 1, 2026 if adopted.
Councilors emphasized the process rationale rather than personal gain. “I think CPI is a good process, and we should stick with it,” one council member said. The clerk will prepare the ordinance and return it to the council for a future vote.
