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Councilor introduces bill to raise city council pay; proposal to take effect in 2028
Summary
Councilor Craig introduced a bill proposing a $2,000 raise for council members and a $500 raise for the council president, with the changes to become effective January 2028; committee forwarded the measure for first reading.
Councilor Craig introduced an ordinance change on Nov. 3 that would increase monthly compensation for Lancaster City councilors. Under the draft bill, each council member’s annual pay would increase by $2,000 and the council president would receive an additional $500 on top of that amount. The proposal would be effective in January 2028.
Craig said the last salary change for council took place nearly two decades ago and that the effective date is far enough into the future that it will not affect current members unless they are re‑elected. Councilors discussed the potential effects on encouraging candidates and noted the home‑rule charter’s increased expectations of council time since the prior salary adjustment.
Several councilors said they supported considering modest compensation changes, while also noting that councilors do not receive city benefits under the home‑rule arrangement and that the raise would not restore pre‑home‑rule compensation packages. Councilor Ahmed said that, if re‑elected, he intends to abstain from any vote that would affect his own current term.
The committee moved the bill to the Nov. 11 meeting for first reading.
