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Inkster commission recommends 12% raise for mayor, sending proposal to city council
Summary
The Inkster Elected Officials Compensation Commission voted to recommend a 12% pay increase for the mayor — raising the salary to $117,600 — citing eight years of stagnant pay and comparisons to neighboring jurisdictions. The recommendation will be forwarded to city council for final action.
The Inkster Elected Officials Compensation Commission voted to recommend a 12% increase to the mayor’s salary, bringing the annual pay to $117,600. The recommendation, approved in a roll‑call vote, will be submitted to the city council and mayor for final consideration.
Commission members opened the discussion by reviewing a Western Wayne County salary spreadsheet and local population and income figures. Members noted Inkster’s mayoral pay had not kept pace with cost‑of‑living adjustments and that the city’s median household income is far below the state median. "I think we can all agree he needs an increase," the commission chair said while summarizing the commission’s rationale.
Speakers debated several options before converging on a 12% increase. Proposed figures discussed during the meeting included a 10% option ($115,500), a 12% option ($117,600), and a roughly 14% option (about $120,000). Supporters said the increase reflects years without raises — members said the mayor’s pay had been effectively stagnant for roughly eight years — and argued that a higher mayoral salary may help the city recruit and retain qualified department heads. One member framed the change as a way to make municipal leadership compensation more comparable with peer jurisdictions such as Plymouth Township and Van Buren Township.
Opponents voiced caution about the local tax burden and urged moderation. In the roll call, Member Rose voted yes, Member Hall voted yes, Member Sims voted no, and Member Mitchell voted yes. The motion to recommend the 12% increase passed and the commission chair said she would draft the report and submit it to the city clerk for placement on a council agenda.
The commission framed the recommendation as advisory: the city council and mayor retain authority to accept, modify or reject the proposal. The report will be placed on an upcoming council agenda and the commission said it will reconvene if the council requests additional information or revisions.
