Astoria voters to consider City Council compensation adjustment

In Astoria's only local ballot measure in November, voters will consider whether to adjust the city's policy on compensation for the mayor and City Council.

Under the city charter, city councilors receive a set amount of $60 a month, with the mayor receiving $100 a month. If voters approve the ballot measure, the responsibility for deciding compensation levels would shift to the nonelected members of the city's budget committee.

If Measure 4-232 is approved by voters, the provision on pay will be deleted and replaced with a clause giving the budget committee the authority to annually review and establish the level of compensation. The budget committee is made up of the five city councilors and five people appointed from the community, so the structure would sidestep the conflict of city councilors setting their own pay.

According to an explanation provided in the Clatsop County Voters' Pamphlet, city councilors typically devote between 10 and 20 hours a week to performing official duties.

City Councilor Tom Brownson, who has been a vocal advocate for increasing pay, initially brought the issue forward. An ad hoc committee reviewed the policy and agreed that the low pay level acted as a barrier for people who might otherwise run for City Council.

However, the ad hoc committee could not come to a consensus on a dollar amount and instead opted to leave the decision to the budget committee.