Inkster group begins review of elected-official pay, sets follow-up dates

At a meeting in Inkster, a group charged with reviewing elected-official compensation opened its work by naming a chair and secretary, reviewing comparative salary data and setting follow-up meetings to gather the legal and financial information they said they need to make a recommendation.

"It's for the elected officials' compensation," Speaker 2 said as the group clarified its purpose and next steps. Speaker 5 told members the clerk had provided a salary survey from the Conference of Western Wayne and urged the group to compare positions based on local government structure — for example, whether the mayor serves as the chief executive or a city manager fills that role.

Speaker 5 reported the figures the group had received: "The mayor is at a $105,000," and city council members are compensated at an annual rate of "$8,333." He added an inflation-adjusted example, saying that $105,000 from about 2017 would be roughly "$136,000" today and council pay would be closer to about "$10,004," giving members a sense of how those numbers have shifted over time.

Members asked practical questions about timing and affordability. The group discussed the city's fiscal year and how a pay change would align with budgeting; Speaker 5 said the city budgets on a one-year basis with informal multi-year projections and that any change would be proposed to the council for approval. "We generally will adopt a specific number," Speaker 5 said, describing the usual path: the commission adopts a recommendation and the council votes whether to approve it.

The group identified several preparatory tasks. Speaker 1 requested current revenue and budget documents; members asked the treasurer to share financial records and the clerk to provide ordinance and charter text that govern elected-official pay. Speaker 5 offered to gather additional comparative information and said he would provide it before the next meeting.

The commission set tentative meeting dates to continue its review: Feb. 10 and March 10 at noon were agreed for the next two sessions, with April 14 and May 12 also suggested for subsequent meetings. Members discussed meeting frequency and availability and agreed to aim for regular monthly sessions until their work is complete.

No formal motions or votes on compensation levels were taken in this session. The group's next meeting on Feb. 10 will focus on reviewing ordinance and charter language and city financials the clerk and treasurer were asked to provide.