Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Compensation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Poulsbo council approves staggered council pay increases to take effect in 2026 and 2028
Summary
After extended debate over timing and optics, the council approved raising council stipends from $1,000 to $1,375 per month: effective 01/01/2026 for positions 5'7 and 01/01/2028 for positions 1'4. Councilmembers cited recruitment and retention as reasons for the change; others raised timing concerns given recent tax changes and deficit projections.
Council discussed a staff proposal to increase council compensation to roughly one-third of the mayor's part-time salary. Supporters framed the change as necessary to recruit a broader candidate pool and to modernize compensation; opponents said timing was poor given recently adopted revenue measures and projected deficit spending for the next two years.
A motion to increase council salaries ("Move to approve increasing council salaries from 1,000 per month to 1,375 per month, effective 01/01/2026 for positions 5 through 7 and 01/01/2028 for positions 1 through 4") was moved and seconded. After a procedural motion to table was called and voted, the council ultimately voted to approve the increase (final tally recorded on the roll call).
