http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0224wvsalary0224.html
City Council to ask voters for smaller pay increase
Louie Villalobos The Arizona Republic Feb. 24, 2006 12:00 AM
GLENDALE - Trying to propose something that residents would approve, Glendale City Council members will ask voters for a more moderate raise than was suggested a few weeks ago.
The council members will ask voters to increase the mayor's salary from $35,000 to $48,000 and to increase council members' salaries from $17,500 to $34,000.
The amounts are much less of a raise than was suggested by a citizens committee, which asked that the mayor's salary be bumped to $65,000 and the council members' salaries be raised to $45,000.
Mayor Elaine Scruggs suggested the lower pay raise, saying she didn't think voters would go for the larger increase.
Scruggs came up with those numbers by first accruing a 3 percent cost-of-living increase for the past 10 years for the mayor position. Council salaries were last reviewed in 1996. She suggested the salary be 70 percent of the mayor's salary.
That's something many cities with a district council, such as Glendale, already have in place, she said. The system has council members be in charge of designated districts within the city.
"It is just such a different workload when you have a district council. I think the salaries do reflect that in other cities and should reflect that in Glendale," Scruggs said.
The suggested raises will be put into an ordinance for the council to approve next month. They will then be placed on the September ballot for voters to decide, as required by the city code.
All the members agreed with Scruggs on the lower suggested raise, despite most of the feedback being in support of the bigger increase.
Scruggs said many of the 32 residents who took the time to submit comments are very familiar with the council and how it operates. Some, she said, have served on city boards or commissions.
But she said they probably don't represent the 40 to 45 percent voter turnout she expects to see in September.
This story may have appeared in your community section or community Republic.