Council debates mayor pay, board workloads and options to hire an administrator

Emigration Canyon council members spent a large portion of the meeting examining mayor and municipal board pay and weighing whether to hire an administrator to reduce elected officials' workload.

The discussion began when Speaker 1 asked for a review of current compensation and Speaker 2 said the MSD pays $100 per meeting and that most boards meet twice monthly. Speaker 2 and others noted that the packet lists municipal wages but not always the mayor’s separate line; the group used open payroll resources to compare neighboring cities and officials such as Eric Barbee and Kelly Bush.

Speaker 2 suggested raising mayoral pay and mentioned a figure of 4,500 (the speaker did not specify whether that was monthly or annual). Other council members proposed a range between roughly $2,500 and $3,000 per month (equivalent to about $30,000–$36,000 a year under the assumptions discussed). Speakers also flagged that some comparable municipalities show larger wage lines because they include city administrators or clerks in the same budget rows.

The council debated whether lowering elected officials’ pay and hiring a part‑time or shared administrator could reduce council workload. Speaker 2 reported tracking roughly 40 hours of mayoral work in one month and said delegation could relieve meeting burdens; opponents worried an administrator might not reduce board representation responsibilities or could be expensive and risk poor performance if underpaid.

Several council members said they need clearer, itemized payroll data before changing compensation. The council agreed to follow up with MSD/finance staff to get detailed breakdowns and payroll history before making any pay adjustments. The meeting record shows no formal vote on compensation at this session.

The council adjourned for five minutes after moving and seconding adjournment.