Some Council Members OK With No Pay Raise

Kent City Council members and the mayor will not get a raise anytime soon, and they're OK with that.

Council formed the Kent Salary Review Committee  to determine whether members and the mayor should get a raise or be eligible for health care benefits available to city employees.

After months of research, the committee made a recommendation to council in April that the .  There are 10 members of council, including the mayor, six ward seats and three at-large members. Council members are paid $6,200 yearly and the mayor receives $6,600 yearly.

Mayor Jerry Fiala said that once the recommendation was read during a regular council meeting, it's put on the record and no further action is required by council.

"The only formality we had to do was accept the letter they gave us and it's a done deal," Fiala said. "The city charter requires we appoint the commission to review salaries every two years."

After the recommendation was read, Fiala said council could have done something to change it, but no action was taken.

"When it was read, it was stamped, sealed and done," he said.

Overall, council members opposed a raise, Fiala said.

"There's very few of my colleagues looking for increases," he said. "There was a few that would have liked it, but I think everyone is pleased with (the committee's) decision."

Ward 2 Councilman Jack Amrhein opposed a raise and health care benefits.

"Even though there's a lot of construction going on and it's looking like we're coming out of the deficit we were in last year, we aren't in any position to give raises," Amrhein said. "I just felt funny about it. Really (the recommendation) didn't bother me in the least."

At-Large Councilman Robin Turner didn't give comment as to whether he wanted a raise, but he did say "it's difficult for any council people in this environment to stand up and say I want a raise."

"They (SRC) did the job and they did what they felt was appropriate and you have to respect that," Turner said. "I may agree or disagree but that was their charge. I thought the decision was up to them, quite honestly."

Turner added that he knew there were some council members who thought they deserved a raise, while others think they didn't deserve compensation at all.

"I never took a position on it," Turner said. "They made a recommendation and we should follow through with it."

When the issue comes up again in the future, Turner hopes that if the recommendation is to give council raises that the final say will come from Kent's voters.

"It would establish a greater integrity to any compensation given to elected individuals," he said.