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Newport committee weighs stipends, health benefits and noncash options to boost council diversity and recruitment
Summary
City staff reviewed Oregon comparisons and committee members discussed stipends, health benefits, facility use and scheduling changes as ways to reduce barriers to serving on Newport’s city council. No formal recommendation or vote was taken; staff was asked to return with legal guidance, budget scenarios and additional research.
Ally, a city staff member presenting research for the Newport City Council Compensation Committee, told members she reviewed the League of Oregon Cities’ elected-officials compensation survey and several individual city packages to inform discussion.
“There truly isn’t one cookie-cutter methodology or one size-fit-all compensation strategy for Oregon cities,” Ally said, listing common items such as stipends, travel reimbursements, recreation or facility use, and technology (cell phones, laptops).
Committee members focused on three broad categories of compensation the research suggested: direct pay (stipends/salaries), substantial benefits (notably health insurance), and reimbursement or in-kind benefits that defray costs of service. Mark Colson, a committee member, summarized the group’s takeaway: “There are kind of three buckets...getting paid to be a city councilor, health insurance, and compensation for actual costs like travel or devices.”
Members discussed examples from other Oregon cities the presentation cited. The League dataset (responded to by 84 cities, roughly 35% of Oregon cities) and individual city figures in the packet included: - Wilsonville: mayor about $30,426 annually; council president and councilors lesser stipend tiers. - Tualatin: CIS health insurance offered to mayor and councilors with the city paying about 90% of premiums. - Forest Grove: stipends of roughly $2,496 per year for councilors and health benefits with the city paying about 95% of premiums. - Corvallis: monthly stipends (mayor $560; councilors $360; other leadership tiers between). - Saint Helens: fiscal approach tied to county commissioner salary percentages (mayor 15%, council president 12%, councilors 10%). - Ashland: a recently adopted stipend of $10,800 annually. - Astoria and Albany: smaller monthly stipends (Astoria mayor $600/councilors $500; Albany smaller amounts reported). - Bend (noted as a model for process): candidates elected in November 2024 will receive a $30,000 annual stipend, health benefits and a $3,000 annual health/wellness stipend (as described in Bend materials provided to the committee).
Committee members raised alternatives to direct pay. Lon, a committee member, recommended changing meeting times to reduce lost wages for people with day jobs: “If no council meetings ever started before 6 p.m., whether it be a work session or a regular session, that pretty much mitigates the whole problem without any money changing hands.” Several members suggested noncash benefits such as free recreational center access or other employee benefits that could be extended to councilors.
Members also discussed process and legal constraints. The group noted that Oregon’s ethics laws and local charter provisions can limit officials’ ability to vote on compensation that benefits them directly; staff agreed to consult outside legal counsel and report back on permissible processes (for example, whether compensation must be approved by a future council or by voters) before the committee takes further steps.
Budget implications were flagged repeatedly. City staff said Newport’s general fund faces familiar constraints, and the finance director was asked to run scenario modelling showing multi-year impacts of different options (stipend amounts, health insurance costs, or selected in-kind benefits) so the committee can see short- and longer-term budget effects.
The committee asked staff to take several follow-up actions before the next meeting: send the full packet as a single PDF to members, check the legal options with outside counsel, ask Human Resources what employee benefits might be extended to councilors, and ask the finance director to prepare interactive budget scenarios. Members also asked staff to contact a list of about 16 similar-size Oregon cities to gather any local experience about whether compensation affected recruitment, retention or diversity.
No motions or votes were taken. The committee set a next meeting date and planned to reconvene with the requested information.
Ending: The committee’s work remains investigatory. Staff will return with legal guidance, a budget impact matrix and additional city comparisons so members can weigh fiscal constraints, equity goals and a range of compensation options at the next meeting.
