Two issues related to the Mayor's salary were apparent at Monday's City Council meeting, a meeting without the Mayor present.
Currently, the salary schedule for the Mayor has eight steps, each higher step is 2.7 percent above the next lower step. And, the entire 8-step schedule increases each year, in conjunction with the cost of living. Some Council members see no need to have an 8-step salary schedule.
Council member Brian Geer suggested to simply set the salary, which then could be changed by the Council when desired.
The highest step is currently $103,000 and that's what Dean Maxwell makes.
The other issue has to do with the kind of government Anacortes has, a so-called strong Mayor government. Apparently, the only one of its kind in the state. Add the Mayor's function as chairman of the City Council and chief administrative officer.
Many cities pay a smaller salary to their mayors and a higher salary to a city manager or city administrator, with the Council selection the chair from among the Council members.
Council member Cynthia Richardson pointed out that our Mayor also acts as head of the water utility and sewer utility. The water utility sells water to the county PUD, two oil refineries, the city of Oak Harbor and the Naval station on Whidbey. She said salaries for city managers or administrators runs from $96,000 to a high of $172,000.
Council member Eric Johnson said that the salary is "an amazing wage for a Mayor of a town the size of 15,000. But, Council member Erica Pickett said "its not an amazing salary for a city administrator," and to simply call the position a mayor is not correct.
The session was a study session and no action was taken. But, it would appear the Council is ready to make some kind of change in the Mayor's salary structure before the end of the year.