Charter commission endorses modest stipend proposal; to recommend $500/month for council
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Summary
After extended debate about equity and voter fatigue, the commission voted to forward a compensation recommendation to the ballot: $500 per month for council members and $750 per month for the mayor (monthly), with reimbursement rules unchanged; the commission discussed tying pay to attendance or review mechanisms.
The commission spent an extended session debating whether to recommend voter approval of compensation for mayor and council. Commissioners discussed peer-city averages, prior ballot results and potential impacts on candidate diversity. Speaker 12 presented survey data showing Central Texas peer averages around $4,575 for council members and $7,169 for mayors; commissioners noted the last local ballot had proposed $9,000 for council and $12,000 for the mayor and failed.
Speakers made competing points: some argued a modest stipend would reduce barriers for working or lower-income residents to serve; others said elected office is traditionally voluntary and that the prior ballot loss argues for a lower number that might pass. The commission debated options (three monthly tiers: $500, $1,000, $2,000) and whether to tie compensation to attendance, to create a review board, or to tie pay changes to population.
Motion and vote: Commissioner Speaker 3 moved to amend Article 3.04 to set council compensation at $500 per month and mayor compensation at 1.5× (i.e., $750 per month). The motion was seconded and passed by a hand/voice count.
What it would do: If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, the amendment would codify a monthly stipend (equivalently $6,000 per year for council members, $9,000 for the mayor) with existing reimbursement provisions preserved; commissioners discussed but did not finalize whether the pay would start immediately or after an election cycle — the body expressed a preference to have pay become effective when the amendment takes effect and to have discussion at the attorney-drafting stage about timing.
Representative quote: "If you come to the council meetings, you'll see what they do or how they're prepared," said Speaker 9, arguing the work and time commitments justify a stipend.