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Bothell salary commission opts for anonymous survey of council about compensation, staff to check public‑records limits
Summary
The Bothell Salary Commission agreed to draft an anonymous survey for city council members on compensation, low‑income stipends and time commitments, while staff will confirm whether stipend claims or raw survey responses would be public records; staff and consultant will return with a draft and data ahead of a Nov. 1 ordinance deadline.
The Bothell Salary Commission on Aug. 21 approved moving forward with an anonymous survey of city council members to collect information on time commitment, uncovered costs and possible low‑income stipends, and asked staff to clarify legal limits on confidentiality.
Commissioners said a written survey would allow council members to answer sensitive questions about income and personal obligations without the vulnerability of being asked in public. "We could absolutely staff could absolutely put together a survey to send out electronically," staff member Matthew Prode said, noting SurveyMonkey or Microsoft Forms as options. Commissioners favored a short set of core questions with an optional open‑ended prompt and the option to opt‑in for a follow‑up interview.
At the same time, commissioners pressed staff on whether stipend claims or raw survey responses would be public records. "I do not see any way that it can be confidential," Prode said when asked whether a low‑income stipend could be kept private, and he agreed to consult the city attorney to confirm legal requirements for income verification and record disclosure. He also said staff will ask Kirkland, Edmonds and Issaquah whether anyone has actually used their low‑income stipends.
The commission agreed to review a draft survey at the next meeting before distribution. Prode reminded the group of an internal deadline tied to the city's salary ordinance: "we have a deadline of November 1," he said, and proposed moving the Sept. 4 meeting to Sept. 11 to allow time for the consultant, Alex, to return from vacation and for staff to prepare materials.
Proposed survey topics discussed included average weekly hours devoted to council duties, whether respondents use vacation or personal time for council work, uncovered personal or professional costs, and ideas for compensation structures that would increase access and diversity. Commissioners discussed design variations such as making some identifying questions optional to balance transparency requirements and respondent comfort.
Next steps: staff and consultant will return with the updated salary‑survey dataset and a draft survey; the commission will review the draft at its next meeting and then decide whether to send it to council members.
