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Council advances ordinance allowing interim mayor compensation
Summary
Soap Lake council approved an ordinance framework to allow council‑approved monthly compensation for the mayor until a salary commission is formed; the council removed an hourly‑requirement from the draft and asked the mayor to provide a monthly itemized activity list.
The Soap Lake City Council on May 6 advanced an ordinance authorizing council‑approved monthly compensation for the mayor until a statutorily required salary commission is established. The measure would amend Section 2.48.020 of the Soap Lake Municipal Code to permit payment based on satisfactory completion of executive duties; the draft will be numbered Ordinance 2026-1362 if passed.
Mayor Peter Sharp presented the ordinance language as introduced. Councilmembers voted to strike the draft’s “number of hours” requirement in section B.1. Councilmember Carlson asked that the mayor provide an "itemized list of actions that were done by the mayor for the month showing his contributions to City business," a request Carlson said would clarify how monthly compensation would be justified. The council carried the motion unanimously to accept the ordinance draft and amendments for further processing.
Why it matters: the city currently lacks a salary commission required by the municipal code, which has prevented establishment of a standing mayoral salary. This ordinance provides a temporary mechanism for compensation set by council until the commission exists. The council did not set a dollar amount at the meeting; next procedural steps include final ordinance enactment and any future salary‑commission action.
