Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Compensation Council topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Compton committee reviews council pay, stipends and $20,000 discretionary event funds
Summary
Staff told the committee council compensation includes a $600 monthly stipend, $650 vehicle stipend, $100 phone stipend and $20,000 discretionary event budget per member; commissioners pressed staff about lifetime medical benefits, vendor vetting, and conflict-of-interest safeguards for discretionary spending.
City staff reported the city council’s reported entitlements and commissioners debated how to frame compensation and oversight in charter recommendations.
Tamara Benz, speaking for staff, said the monthly council stipend is $600; an automobile stipend is $650 per month; and a cell-phone stipend is $100 per month if council members use personal phones rather than a city-issued device. She also said each council member and the mayor have $20,000 in discretionary special-department funds in the proposed 2026–27 budget for community events.
Commissioners pressed for a fuller accounting of total compensation, including whether council members receive additional payments for sitting on outside boards, and whether lifetime medical/dental/vision benefits apply to elected officials. "All five do not receive all three stipends available," Benz said, declining to identify which members recuse due to confidential personnel records. Staff agreed to provide a complete breakdown to the committee at the June 29 meeting.
Commissioner Baker raised ethical concerns about the discretionary funds and whether the event-publication process adequately prevents conflicts of interest. Staff described checks used in the event-publication and payment flow: vendors must present a business license and W-9, payments are issued by paper check, and event forms are vetted by risk management, the city manager’s office, general services and public safety for staffing/overtime and insurance costs. But staff confirmed that the $20,000 discretionary funds do not require an open competitive RFP and that council members have discretion to select vendors that pass vetting.
Commissioners requested that staff provide a full accounting of all potential monetary entitlements (stipends, discretionary funds and fringe benefits) and to explore possible safeguards or clearer charter language around vendor selection and conflict-of-interest issues. No changes were adopted; the committee asked staff to return with a detailed list and HR to attend the next meeting.
