Council will let commission study its compensation
By Terry Murry on Friday, June 11th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla City Council unanimously approved Wednesday an ordinance to establish a salary commission to address council compensation.
A group of five Walla Walla residents appointed by the mayor and approved by city council will make up the salary commission to decide whether to increase or decrease council salaries. The salary commission would meet every three years to review and independently decide council compensation with council taking no further action on the commission’s decision.
“There is nothing in the ordinance that prescribes when the commission must hold their first meeting,” City Clerk Kammy Hill said.
She and Mayor Tom Scribner met Thursday afternoon to determine how to go about recruiting volunteers for the new commission. Members of the salary commission may not be an officer, official or employee of the city or any of their immediate family.
Several council members voiced support Wednesday night for an increase in compensation, but rather than setting the rate of salary themselves, the seven-member council unanimously decided to create the salary commission. Current compensation was enacted in May 2007 where council members are paid $400 a month and the mayor is paid $500 a month. In December 2017, council passed an ordinance establishing a salary commission, but repealed that ordinance in January 2018. Then in February 2018, council considered an ordinance which would have increased compensation for council members to $600 a month and the mayor $800 per month, but that motion failed.
