Should Sitka assembly members get a pay raise? They haven’t in over two decades, and tonight (8-22-23) the assembly will consider whether to adjust their own pay.
According to a memo from city administrator John Leach, who is sponsoring the ordinance, the assembly salary hasn’t increased since 2002. Currently, the mayor earns $500 dollars a month, and assembly members earn $300. The proposed ordinance would increase the pay by around 60 percent, just under the calculated rate of inflation for the last 21 years, bumping the assembly salary to $500 a month and the mayor’s salary to $800 a month. All in all, it would amount to around an $18,000 increase to the city’s annual budget.
The ordinance is timely, since only four Sitkans have filed to run for three open assembly seats this fall. Only one candidate filed for three open seats on the Sitka School Board. School board members do not receive any compensation.
The increase for assembly pay, if approved, wouldn’t go into effect until after the election.
The Sitka Assembly meets at 6 p.m. tonight. Raven News will broadcast the meeting live, following Alaska News Nightly.
View the full agenda here
