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Council approves mayoral and officer pay increases; 4–1 vote amid timing concerns
Summary
Council approved an ordinance raising the mayor’s stipend and adjusting city officer pay (market and COLA adjustments). The mayoral increase drew mixed reactions over optics during a tax discussion; the ordinance passed 4–1.
The Highland City Council voted 4–1 on June 16 to adopt compensation adjustments that include a market‑based increase for city officers and a roughly 50% raise to the mayor’s annual stipend.
Staff presented the changes as market alignment: a 4% across‑the‑board inflationary adjustment for most staff with market adjustments where needed, and a mayoral stipend increase from $12,600 to $18,900 to bring the office closer to peer cities. City staff said the mayor does not vote on the increase and that the adjustment is intended to reflect the time demands of the office.
Council members debated timing and voter visibility. Council Member Campbell and others supported immediate alignment so the mayor’s compensation matches workload; Council Member Courtney and others said they would prefer any elected‑official compensation take effect after the next election so voters could weigh the change. Council ultimately voted to adopt the ordinance in its current form.
Council Member Rodella, who argued elected pay can influence who is able to serve, supported future council pay adjustments but favored phasing that through a separate process. The ordinance passed by electronic vote 4–1.
What happens next: The compensation changes will be reflected in the FY2026–27 budget; council discussion on council member pay was deferred to a subsequent budget cycle.
