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Committee backs phased increases for council and mayor stipends, recommends work‑session review
Summary
The ACT committee discussed raising stipends that have not changed in about 20 years, considered phased approaches to reach new state caps (roughly $6,915 for council, $8,400 for the mayor), and recommended a phased proposal (one option: $1,000 at the next election and $1,000 at the following election) be prepared for the borough work session.
The ACT (Administration, Communication and Technology) committee opened a detailed discussion on whether to increase the borough council and mayor stipends, which the chair, Lisa Kearns, said have not been raised in roughly two decades.
Kearns said the current stipend is $4,125 annually and that the state recently increased the allowable cap to roughly $6,915 for council members and to about $8,400 for mayors of similar‑size municipalities, representing roughly a 63% and 103% increase respectively. "That represents about a 63% increase for council and a 103% increase for the mayor," she said.
Committee members debated options for implementing any increase. Jerry Sefaniak recommended staged increases tied to staggered election cycles so only newly elected officials would receive the higher amounts as they take office, limiting immediate budget impact. Steven Marvin said he favored reaching the full allowable amount but acknowledged the presentation’s framing and urged discussion. Kearns and others said they preferred a phased approach to avoid the optics of current members immediately increasing their own pay while service cuts or maintenance reductions may be pending.
During public comment, former council president Anne Carroll urged incremental adjustments timed to elections — "phase it according to the election cycle so that you keep one another close" — while resident Eric Lorgas said the phased approach seemed reasonable.
The committee instructed staff to draft a clear, year‑by‑year chart of the proposed phased increases and bring a formal proposal to the upcoming work session. One proposal discussed on the record would add $1,000 at the next municipal election and a further $1,000 at the following election; council would ultimately decide exact amounts and timing.
The committee did not adopt a binding ordinance at the meeting; it directed staff to prepare material for the council work session and possible ordinance language for future votes.
