Sacramento compensation commission freezes mayor and council base pay for 2026–27, approves benefit adjustments

The City of Sacramento Compensation Commission voted March 25 to maintain current base pay for the mayor and city council for fiscal year 2026–27 while approving targeted updates to benefit language and ordering additional analysis from staff and the consultant.

Chair Arthur Scotland, who opened the meeting with a summary of the commission’s responsibilities under Article 3, Section 29 of the City Charter, said the panel’s review relies on a list of comparable cities and a market analysis done by a consultant in 2019. He told the commission the charter requires compensation that is “reasonable and consistent with other cities similar in size and structure.”

Ebony Heaven, employment services manager in the city’s human resources department, presented the salary survey and working spreadsheet used by staff. Heaven told the commission the mayor’s base salary is $184,464 and council members’ base salary is $111,324. She explained the staff packet includes salary comparisons both with and without San Francisco and…