Council opens public hearing on elected-official pay, tables decision for January

Kamas — The Kamas City Council conducted a public hearing and lengthy discussion on a proposal to change compensation for the mayor, city council and planning commissioners and then voted to delay final action until the council’s Jan. 14 meeting.

The hearing reviewed a staff-prepared proposal that would replace per‑meeting stipends with flat monthly payments: $1,000 per month for the mayor, $150 per month for council members, and $75 per month for planning commissioners. The change was proposed after a municipal wage survey and a review of comparable jurisdictions.

“Starting with council, our meetings, … I just thought, well, there’s some months we’ll have work sessions. Some months we won’t,” said Councilmember Monica, explaining why she proposed moving to a monthly stipend for predictability. Monica added that monthly stipends would simplify budgeting and public transparency about what officials receive.

Other councilmembers urged caution. Some preferred retaining per‑meeting pay so compensation would be linked to attendance and effort; Councilmember Leslie said she worried a flat monthly pay could pay officials even when they miss meetings. Councilmember David argued that compensation should reflect actual duties and that increases should be considered carefully because policy decisions persist over long time frames. Several members also asked for greater transparency about the mayor’s outside meetings and suggested the mayor provide a short written summary of meetings for which the city pays or that relate to city interests.

The mayor—who attends multiple regional committees and boards on the city’s behalf—said those external meetings have benefited Kamas, including work on transportation and grant programs, and that some meetings are sensitive or at a stage where detailed public reporting is not always appropriate. Councilmembers nonetheless requested a short report of meetings the mayor charges to the city so council members have consistent information.

After more than an hour of discussion and multiple council comments, Councilmember David moved to table the compensation proposal to the Jan. 14 meeting to allow members time to review details and for the mayor to provide a short summary of recent meetings he attends on the city’s behalf. The motion carried unanimously.

Ending — The council took no change to pay at the Dec. 10 meeting. The item will return on the Jan. 14, 2025 agenda; council members asked staff to circulate comparative salary data and asked the mayor to provide a brief report on the external meetings he attends for the city.