New Bothell Salary Commission elects chair, sets data requests and an October 31 review deadline

The newly constituted Bothell Salary Commission met in a hybrid session to organize its work, name officers and direct staff and its consultant to gather further data ahead of a statutory 90-day review period that ends October 31.

Matthew Pruitt, the city's employee and technology services director, opened the meeting, outlined the commission's responsibilities under the council's new procedures and said the group has a 90-day full-review window that runs through Oct. 31 and can be extended by the City Council if needed. Pruitt said use of city email for commission business is preferred because those records are subject to public-records rules.

The commission agreed informally to leadership: Tamara Wood volunteered to serve as chair and Jeremy Todgers said he would serve as vice chair. Commissioners did not record a formal motion or roll-call vote on the appointment during the meeting.

Pruitt reviewed decisions made by last year's salary commission, including increases implemented for the mayor, deputy mayor and councilmembers, a $400 monthly low-income stipend for households below 80% of median income in King and Snohomish counties, and the ability for councilmembers to participate in the city's 457 deferred compensation program. Staff described those changes as intended to make service more accessible but noted the stipend has not yet been claimed by any councilmember.

Alexandra Sheeks of Kava Dow Associates described the consultant's methodology for comparables: the firm selected cities similar to Bothell by population and budget, limited the set to council–manager governments (excluding many larger strong-mayor cities), and adjusted salaries by regional price parity (RPP) factors from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to account for cost-of-living differences. Sheeks also presented per-capita salary metrics (cents-per-resident) and said the consultant relied on interviews and estimates to report time commitments for local elected officials.

Commissioners asked staff and the consultant to gather additional data for several neighboring cities (including Redmond, Kirkland, Kenmore, Woodinville, Mill Creek and Mercer Island) even where the cities' government forms or budgets may require separate treatment. The group also asked staff to try again to contact Kirkland's city attorney for information about Kirkland's process.

Commissioners discussed how to collect qualitative information about the lived experience of serving on council. They favored creating a standardized discussion guide to use for interviews with councilmembers, aiming to learn what serving two and three decades looks like in practice, how many hours per week councilmembers actually spend on duties and what hidden costs affect participation. Staff said they will research public-meeting rules (for example, whether interviewing more than two commissioners would create a quorum issue) and return to the commission with options.

Next steps identified by staff: the consultant and staff will begin follow-up outreach, the commission will refine questions for council interviews at the next meeting, and the group will continue its work toward a final recommendation before the Oct. 31 deadline. Pruitt reminded the commission that any final recommendation to change council pay requires a public hearing under State of Washington regulations and that public records and possible referendum risks are part of the formal process. The meeting adjourned with no formal votes recorded.