Gig Harbor salary commission elects chair, asks staff for standardized pay, benefits and time-use data

Katrina Capesen, the city administrator, opened the Gig Harbor Salary Commission meeting and said the commission should expand its membership and collect consistent data before making pay recommendations for the mayor and council.

Capesen told the three-member panel that “this commission is typically five folks, and you have three right now,” and recommended staff recruit two additional members while compiling information the commission needs to analyze salaries. She said the commission must meet before April 30 under the city code and asked commissioners what data would be useful.

Commissioner Jim Anderson volunteered to lead the meeting when the chair was selected and a voice vote appointed “Kim” as chair; the transcript records the appointment as unanimous but does not list a roll-call tally. Anderson also moved to approve minutes from the Jan. 28, 2025 meeting; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

The commissioners focused discussion on two main data priorities: benefits and elected-official time commitments. One commissioner argued that fringe benefits are a key missing piece in previous comparisons, saying Gig Harbor’s benefit package has “been, in the past, significantly better than those offered in similar-sized communities.” Capesen and commissioners agreed staff should include benefit comparators in the packet.

Anderson urged a simple, repeatable poll of council members and the mayor to capture how much time they spend on city business, suggesting categories (weekly meetings, phone/email, community events) and a consistent question set to track trends year to year. “If we’re identifying communities similar in size… having some sort of a grid even where we’re looking at the running five years,” Anderson said, “we can see if those other communities are also raising some of their compensation.”

Capesen added that some of those data points already exist; council members estimated their hours during last year’s process and staff have been contacting other city clerks for written documentation of comparable numbers. She also noted that recent changes to staff contracts should be reported: general and supervisor units have received roughly 2%–4.5% increases since the city’s 2018 unionization, while the police contract included an 8% increase aimed at recruitment.

The commission set a near-term work plan: staff will post recruitment materials for two new members this week and compile standardized comparative data — including salaries, fringe benefits, and a time-use poll — for consideration at the next meeting, tentatively in May or June. Capesen emphasized city staff will provide written documentation from peer cities where available to avoid relying solely on verbal reports.

Before adjourning, commissioners reiterated the requirement to have recommendations ready in time for the budget process and thanked those who joined. A motion to adjourn was made and seconded; the meeting ended without further action.