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Walnut Grove council opens formal process to consider higher mayor gas allowance and council stipends
Summary
Council discussed raising the mayor’s monthly gas allowance (historically $50) and whether to add or increase monthly stipends for council members to reduce financial barriers to service. Members agreed to begin the required advertising process and schedule public hearings, targeting July 9.
Walnut Grove’s City Council spent a large portion of its June meeting debating whether to adjust compensation for elected officials, including a potential increase to the mayor’s monthly gas allowance and the creation or expansion of monthly stipends for council members.
Council members traced the $50-per-month gas allowance for the mayor back to prior administrations and said it was originally intended as a simple replacement for mileage reimbursement for short local trips. A council member suggested raising the allowance to roughly $75 a month to reflect higher fuel costs and increased travel tied to the position; other members urged that any change be documented as a reimbursement for expenses rather than a salary increase. Several council members argued that modest stipends could make service more affordable for younger residents and caregivers and broaden the pool of potential candidates; opponents warned that compensation must not appear to encourage running for office for the money.
The council discussed procedural requirements and next steps. Members and staff noted there is an advertising requirement for compensation changes and that the measure must be voted on twice before taking effect. Council directed staff to begin the formal process of public notice and hearings and to advertise both hearings so they would comply with the statutory timing (15 days’ notice) and allow two readings. Council aimed to place the first public hearing on the agenda for the July 9 regular meeting and solicited public input ahead of that hearing.
No final pay changes were adopted at the meeting; the discussion concluded with direction to staff to return revised budget figures (with a separate gas-allowance line item) and to post a second proposed budget before the public hearings. The council emphasized that, if adjustments are proposed, staff should document the basis (mileage, wear-and-tear, meeting frequency) so the allowance reads as reimbursement rather than a salary increase.
