In a move that has caught many by “surprise,” the independent salary commission has released its first salary proposal for Portland city leaders under the new form of government set to begin in 2025. The proposal suggests a significant pay raise for the 12-member city council, mayor, and auditor.
Currently, city commissioners earn slightly over $127,000 annually. However, the proposal recommends boosting their salaries to a staggering $142,404 per year. The mayor, too, would see an increase from the current salary of approximately $151,000 to just over $175,000.
With the expansion of the council from four seats to 12, coupled with these salary hikes, the total cost for council and mayor salaries would skyrocket from around $662,000 to almost $1.9 million.
“This really opens the door to a lot of historically underrepresented Portlanders to be able to run for office,” remarked Abby Engers, one of the HR experts on the commission, expressing a positive perspective on the proposal.
The commission opted for what it termed a “thriving wage” rather than a living wage. Additionally, the auditor’s salary would also see an increase, climbing from just over $127,000 to $168,758 according to the proposal.
Engers argued that the salaries currently constitute less than 0.05% of the budget and predicted that it would likely remain a similar amount in the next budget. She further stated, “I think that we’re pretty confident that we’re living in alignment with the city values as well as representing only a small fraction of the city’s total budget.”
To potentially offset the increased costs, Engers suggested exploring options for cost-saving measures, such as council members sharing staff. Presently, each commissioner is allotted a budget for seven staffers. However, with the new form of government and multi-member districts, it remains unclear how the staff size will be determined, especially since commissioners will no longer be responsible for the day-to-day operations of bureaus.
Comparing Portland to similarly sized cities such as San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Minneapolis, and Sacramento, the proposed council salary places Portland in the third position. However, the mayor’s proposed salary ranks fifth among the seven cities analyzed.
Abby Engers emphasized the aim of the proposal to remove the barrier that the need for independent wealth or outside resources has posed for many Portlanders interested in running for city council. “Our intention with setting the salaries where we set them – and it’s at draft; we’re still looking for input – is that we can enable more Portlanders who have been historically unrepresented to have a seat at the table,” she explained.
Engers and her fellow commissioners believe that the proposed salaries would attract a diverse range of candidates, allowing for greater representation among Portland city leaders.
Conclusion
I have my reservations about whether the proposed salary increase will truly attract the right individuals to lead Portland. It’s not just about the money; we need to focus on finding the most capable candidates for the job. We should be casting our net wide to ensure we have the best possible leaders in place. Simply increasing salaries might not address the underlying issues.
Moreover, I’m cautious about the idea of expanding the council to 12 members. While it may offer more representation, we have to consider the financial implications. Allocating an additional 1.23 million dollars to cover the increased salaries seems like a substantial budgetary commitment. I can’t help but wonder if those funds could be put to better use in other areas that would benefit the city as a whole.
In the end, it’s important to prioritize effective leadership and responsible budgeting. We should carefully consider all aspects before making decisions that will have long-term consequences for Portland’s future.
