Jackson City review committee votes to raise council pay to $750 a month starting May 2027
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Summary
After comparing peer cities and reviewing budget projections, the Jackson City Council Review Committee voted unanimously to raise monthly council pay from $500 to $750 for members taking office in May 2027; a possible annual cost-of-living increase was discussed but left pending legal review.
Jackson City — The Jackson City Council Review Committee voted unanimously on Feb. 10 to raise monthly pay for city council members from $500 to $750, a change the committee said would take effect for the slate installed in May 2027.
The motion, introduced during the committee meeting, proposed increasing the monthly stipend "from $500 to $750 based on the fact that the last increase was made in 2003 and taking into consideration the increase in cost of living and the current expectations and responsibility of council members," and was seconded and approved without recorded opposition.
Committee members said the increase responds to two decades without a raise, comparisons to nearby jurisdictions, and the time commitment expected of council members. Kelsey Merriweather, the city HR director, told the committee that neighboring county commissioners recently moved from $500 to $750 per month and that their chair’s pay rose to $1,500. City recorder Nathan Reed supplied the fiscal context, saying the general fund is "right at a 100 and $101,000,000" and that the "total city budget is about $132,000,000," remarks the committee cited in assessing whether the roughly $20,000–$30,000 annual aggregate cost could be absorbed.
Members debated alternatives and public perception before the vote. Some argued for a more modest flat increase or a phased step plan; others favored parity with nearby elected bodies and an explicit cost-of-living adjustment. The chair and several committee members stressed the committee was setting pay for the next term’s council, not for incumbents serving now.
The committee also discussed, but did not adopt, a second motion to add an annual cost-of-living adjustment capped at 2.5 percent. That proposal was left subject to review by the city attorney and legislative counsel, who are to advise whether a COLA can be set in advance of a term in a manner consistent with the city charter and applicable law. The committee set a tentative follow-up meeting to reconvene if legal counsel advises that a COLA motion is permissible.
The committee scheduled a tentative additional meeting for Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. for any further action tied to legal guidance. The approved $750 monthly stipend will be effective for council members taking office in May 2027 unless legal review requires amendment.
