The Charter Review Committee on Nov. 6 advised the subcommittee and staff to propose a charter amendment that would reset Sunnyvale’s council baseline pay and keep the current cost‑of‑living adjustment language. By advisory straw poll the committee favored a $72,000 annual salary for council members and $108,000 for the mayor, with the change to take effect on the January 1 after the relevant election and annual adjustments to continue to follow the charter’s CPI method.

Subcommittee findings: Member Davis presented a written subcommittee report exploring three approaches: a fixed new baseline derived from public survey responses; indexing to a percentage of the city’s median full‑time wage (based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey); or setting initial figures from ACS data and establishing a periodic review committee to adjust the numbers. The subcommittee noted the ACS 5‑year estimates are more stable than the 1‑year series and cautioned about changes in methodology and publication timing. The subcommittee said voters should be polled professionally before the city places any compensation change on the ballot.

Why it matters: Committee members debated the tradeoffs between attracting a broader candidate pool and the optics of council members changing their own pay. Supporters said higher pay can make service feasible for residents who cannot otherwise afford to reduce paid work while serving; others warned higher salaries could appear to foster career politicians. The committee emphasized transparency and the need for public polling to test voter appetite for the proposed baseline.

Public comment: Two in‑person speakers urged caution. Zachary Kaye said higher pay risks attracting political careerists; Steve S. argued council and mayor are part‑time positions and urged clear job descriptions and total‑compensation tables. Several committee members stressed that the recommendation should be grounded in data and public polling and suggested the mayor’s pay be expressed as a multiplier of the council salary (committee adopted a 50% multiplier in the straw poll, producing the mayor figure of $108,000).

Outcome and next steps: Committee straw polls (advisory) supported keeping the existing CPI adjustment method, recommended professional polling to inform final ballot language and asked subcommittees to submit final draft reports to staff by Nov. 19 for the Dec. 4 meeting. Staff and the subcommittee will prepare draft ballot language and a polling plan for Council consideration.