OCR Text |
Show Comparison of Council Salaries December 26, 2007 N. Utah council salaries diverse BY KATIE M. ELLIS Standard-Examiner correspondent Huntsville City Councilman Jim Truett responds to complaints from residents about ice buildup in front of the school or grass damage from a snowplow. He and his colleagues on the council do extensive research to write ordinances and grant proposals and spend countless hours taking care of cemeteries and parks. They do all that and more for a dollar a year, roughly 8 cents a month. "It says a lot if they are doing this and not being paid," Truett said. Although no other city councils are paid as little as Huntsville's, newly elected council members across the Top of Utah are preparing to be sworn in, and the pay they will receive is as varied as the communities they serve. For the 30 cities surveyed in Weber and Davis counties, the average compensation package is $531 per month, in-cluding council and redevelopment agency pay and any set expense reimbursement or benefits. Weber County councils are paid less, averaging $419 a month compared with $643 in Davis County. Three cities in each county offer retirement benefits to their councils; three Davis County cities offer health insurance. For both counties, the average compensation for cities that do not offer retirement benefits is $422 a month. Those with retirement benefits average $888. The 27 cities that do not offer health insurance average $443 per month. The three cities that do offer health benefits average $1,320, with the city's contribution to the insurance factored in. Most council members refuse the health coverage offered them. Council members typically attend two meetings a month. Those surveyed say they spend anywhere from 10 to 100 hours a month in city- City council pay Monthly pay for city council members in Weber and Davis county cities: City Pay Population Farr West $300 5,000 Harrisville $126 5,500 Huntsville $0.08 500 Hooper $100 5,000 Marriott/Slaterville $100 1,600 North Ogden $328 15,601 Ogden $734-$910 77,226 Plain City $150 4,500 Pleasant View $205 7,000 Riverdale $687 8,444 Roy $773 36,000 South Ogden $747 15,000 Uintah $173 1,150 Wash. Terrace $400 8,600 West Haven $1,260 3,500 Bountiful $1,454 43,567 Centerville $425 16,000 Clearfield $1,540 26,000 Clinton $415 21,075 Farmington $600 13,000 Fruit Heights $375 5,800 Kaysville $500 26,000 Layton $1,094 69,529 N. Salt Lake $458 10,000 South Weber $300 4,500 Sunset $370 5,200 Syracuse $966 10,000 West Bountiful $263 5,500 West Point $450 12,000 Woods Cross $430 9,000 Source: Area city councils Standard-Examiner 89 |