David Condon, Mayor, No Phone Number Available
Monday, April 6, 2015 at 4:29 p.m.
Keeping government affordable is one of the important tenants of this administration. We push hard to be efficient with the dollars we do spend, ensure they are aligned to citizen priorities and leveraged where possible to deliver the greatest return and outcome.
That’s why I’m renewing the call to revisit how the mayor’s salary is set. The idea was first proposed during this year’s budget process, when I proposed a three-part government affordability plan that included overhauling the process for setting the mayor’s salary, changes to arbitration guidelines that govern labor contracts for public safety employees and a comprehensive review of City salaries. My plan would transfer the mayor’s salary to the citizen Salary Review Commission, which also reviews and sets salaries for City Council members.
Doing that requires a Charter change approved by the voters. I am asking the City Council to put the proposed Charter change on the next available ballot for a citizen vote. Transferring authority over the mayor’s salary to the citizen Salary Review Commission will introduce consistency into the process of setting the salaries of City of Spokane elected officials. It removes the politics and will allow the commission to take a good look at municipal salaries around the state and determine fair compensation.
The work we have done over the past two years has allowed us to focus our attention on larger, priority investments. Salaries, particularly the mayor’s salary, are an important consideration to keep us there.
