Charlottesville has joined other cities in Virginia in moving ahead to implement new legislation to allow them to increase their salaries.
“In the legislative agenda of the Commonwealth for 2024, they passed a statute that allows City Councils of independent cities to amend the salaries which hasn’t been done for a long time for the Mayor and the City Council,” said Eden Ratliff, the deputy city manager for administration hired earlier this year.
The legislation increases the maximum caps that localities are allowed to pay those elected to serve. In Charlottesville, the salary for four of the five councilors would increase from $18,000 to $34,000. The Mayor’s salary would go up to $37,000.
“If the Council chooses to adopt this ordinance, it can’t take effect until July 1 after the next General Election so we’re talking about 2026, nearly two years from now,” Ratliff said.
Council last voted 4-1 in May 2017 on a raise from $14,000 to $18,000, according to a story from the Daily Progress from the time. The mayor’s salary went from $16,000 to $20,000. (the story is paywalled but this is the link)
Councilor Lloyd Snook disputed some of the information in the staff report and in the ordinance, and said going to the full amount allowed under the new caps would send a bad message at this time.
“I think at a time when we are raising taxes, basically every tax we could raise this past year, it is certainly not good politics and probably not wise more broadly for us to take the most full advantage of what the General Assembly has done,” Snook said.
Snook suggested $22,500 for councilors and $25,000 for the Mayor based on a more direct connection to inflation since 2017.
Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston disagreed with Snook and said he would vote for the ordinance change without shame. The next reading will be on August 19.
“I disagree with the fundamental proposition that the original salary when it was set way back in the dark ages was anywhere close to what it should have been so I very much support this and think it is overdue,” Pinkston said.
Pinkston said he did not pursue office for the money but the job is a lot of work not just in terms of hours spent but also in terms of the opportunity costs of giving up other professional pursuits.
“The thing about this role and the reason I love it is that you’re always carrying the city sort of around your heart and in your mind,” Pinkston said. “That may be a little over dramatic but that’s how I feel about it.”
Pinkston said the increase will encourage others to consider running for office who might not otherwise have done so.
City Councilor Michael Payne pointed out that state law has no cap for counties, who set their own maximum. He noted that some localities in northern Virginia have salaries approaching $100,000, though according to this March 2023 article from Fairfax Now that’s only Fairfax County.
Payne said he has talked to many people who have wanted to run for Council but the low pay for a second job was a barrier because of the need to cut back on their paid work.
“That was a factor for them, that financially it wouldn’t be feasible for them,” Payne said. “So does this completely solve that issue of making office more accessible to people who aren’t independently coming from wealth or self-employed or retired. No. But it’s one meaningful step in that direction.”
Payne noted other cities have already taken advantage of the legislation and here are some examples:
- Richmond City Council votes to nearly double their salaries, first raise in 26 years, Sierra Krug, WRIC, June 11, 2024
- Roanoke City Council approves pay raises for mayor, council members, Samantha Verrelli, Cardinal News, July 2, 2024
- Danville City Council votes to more than triple members’ pay, Grace Mamon, Cardinal News, July 3, 2024
According to the Albemarle County code, supervisors each get paid $19,803 per year, effective July 1, 2023. The chair gets an additional $1,800 a year and the vice chair gets an additional $600.
Councilor Natalie Oschrin said she shared Pinkston’s philosophy and said more people should be able to run for office. She said her support was about the future.
“By voting for this increase, it’s not that it hits our bank accounts tomorrow,” Oschrin said.
Mayor Juandiego Wade also supported the raise as a way to increase diversity on the City Council.
Councilors made their comments before the public hearing in part because Mayor Wade forgot to open it up.
Don Gathers spoke at the first public comment period as well as the public hearing. At both he questioned the ability of elected officials to set their own wages.
“Where else in this country can employees set their own salary?” asked Gathers, who ran for Council in 2019 before dropping out after being threatened by a white supremacist. “I ask that in as much as the citizens of this city elected you which means you work for us. So as we being the employer, you’re coming to us asking for a raise and my question back to you is what exactly have you done in order to deserve it?”
Gathers said if the goal is to increase public participation, the money should instead go to pay for people to serve on Boards and Commissions.
Second reading will be held on August 19.
Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the August 7, 2024 edition of the newsletter. To ensure this research can be sustained, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or contributing monthly through Patreon.
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