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Council advances charter amendment language for mayor, council pay; timing of future raises draws the most debate
Summary
Council discussed proposed charter amendment language to place a pay-change question on the November ballot (proposed council pay $1,000/month; mayor $1,250/month). Members sought clearer language about when future cost-of-living increases would take effect; council gave staff direction to bring the draft back with clarifications and schedule a May public hearing and budget workshop.
Eureka — The council reviewed draft charter amendment language and an implementing ordinance to place on the November ballot a proposal setting councilmember pay at $1,000 per month and the mayor's pay at $1,250 per month. City Clerk Pam Powell explained the process and the plan to return for a second public hearing in May alongside the budget workshop to meet state timelines.
Discussion centered on whether future cost-of-living increases should take effect immediately after a council vote or only when the next council is seated (a change some members said would prevent a sitting council from voting itself an immediate raise). Councilmember Katie Moulton said she recalled prior discussion that tied such raises to the next council's term and asked whether that constraint had been included; staff clarified that the draft as written allows annual adjustments with finance-committee review and that specific timing language could be added.
Councilmember Contreras Deloche said she supported the broader goal of making council service financially accessible but worried the draft might not go far enough to achieve that. City Clerk Powell noted staff will identify the regional cost-index to be used for COLA calculations and return with refined language.
No vote was taken on placing the question on the ballot; instead the council provided direction and set a May special meeting for the required public hearing and budget workshop. Clerk Powell indicated May 26 as a likely date for the second hearing and workshop.
