BURLINGTON — City councilors are exploring increasing their compensation, currently an annual stipend of approximately $3,000.
City Councilor Dave Hartnett, I-North District, introduced a resolution that called for a $2,000 increase, but he stripped the dollar amount from his proposal, saying he was mostly interested in starting a conversation.
The resolution was passed at Monday night’s council meeting and sent to the charter change committee. Any increase in councilor compensation would need voter approval, and the resolution directs the committee to prepare a question for the March Town Meeting Day ballot.
Hartnett said it has been close to 15 years since councilors received a raise and that the workload for councilors grew when their numbers were decreased from 14 to 12 in 2015. An increase in compensation would amount to a small item in the city budget but could result in a more diverse pool of residents seeking to serve, he said.
Councilor Tom Ayers, D-Ward 7, said the charter change committee should examine the compensation for similar-sized cities around the country. He urged its members to look beyond simply a pay increase to other forms of compensation in order to make serving on the City Council more appealing for a broader range of residents.
Ayers said that South Portland, Maine, for instance, offers a very modest stipend but allows members of the council to be covered by the city health plan.
Committee Chair Kurt Wright, R-Ward 7, said the panel would have preliminary discussions on the proposal.
