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The Walnut Creek City Council this week voted to raise the pay of council members for the first time in more than two decades.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to more than double the monthly pay for council members from $650 to $1,600, the first change in compensation since 2002. The pay hike will take effect in December, so will not impact the current council term.
City staff in a presentation at Tuesday’s meeting showed how Walnut Creek compares to other neighboring cities, with some like Concord, Pittsburg and Antioch paying their council members $1,900 per month, while some cities like Lafayette and Orinda do not pay any compensation to council members.
Walnut Creek Mayor Kevin Wilk, who was selected by his fellow council members to serve in that role for this year, said “people are shocked at how little we make on council” and estimated that members of the council can work 80 hours or more in some months, particularly if they are serving as mayor and are asked to attend additional community events.
“Nobody’s getting rich being on City Council, but council members shouldn’t have to lose money or be in the red every month,” Wilk said at the meeting.
Councilmember Cindy Darling said young parents often aren’t able to participate on the council as a result.
“Not having enough money to cover daycare is a big barrier for parents with school-age kids,” Darling said.
No one spoke against the proposal on the council or among members of the public at Tuesday’s meeting.
After the council’s vote to raise the compensation to $1,600, Wilk said he hoped the change would prompt a more diverse pool of candidates running for City Council.
“We’ve done something for the future of Walnut Creek and to help people to run where they might not have been able to before,” Wilk said.
– Story by Dan McMenamin / Bay City News Service
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