Fresno City Council moves forward with big raises for themselves. Who voted against it?
The next cohort of Fresno City Council representatives and mayor are on track to take home some of California’s largest salaries for elected city leaders.
The Fresno City council voted 5-2 on Thursday on the first hearing of an ordinance that would increase councilmember pay by nearly 70%. The City Council will vote on whether to formally adopt the resolution within 30 days, but that likely will happen with little discussion.
The ordinance also will increase the mayor’s salary by around 60%, up from $130,000 to $219,000. The move ties councilmember pay to Fresno County supervisor pay, which it tied to judges’ pay.
Councilmembers Esmeralda Soria and Garry Bredefeld voted no.
If passed, Councilmembers Miguel Arias, Luis Chavez, and Nelson Esparza will start collecting the higher salary in January. Mayor Jerry Dyer and Councilmembers Mike Karbassi and Tyler Maxwell must run and win a second term to collect the new salary. Councilmember-elect Annalisa Perea, who will take office in January to replace Soria, also will collect the new pay rate.
Before the vote, Bredefeld spoke at length about his opposition. He also compared the new salaries to that of comparable California cities, noting that Fresno councilmembers will make more than their counterparts in San Diego, which is nearly one-third larger than Fresno by population.
“I think the proposal is an outrageous one,” Bredefeld said. “It makes no sense, and when we look at it from a transparency and benchmark analysis, it makes no sense.”
Bredefeld also argued that people should run for the city council because they want to serve their community — not for the pay.
He noted that the proposed new salary would be more than double, if not more, than the median household income in most of the city council districts. For example, Bredefeld’s district has the highest median income, at roughly $90,000. Arias’ district has the lowest, at about $30,000.
Other councilmembers said they hope the new salary range will attract quality candidates and incentivize private-sector employees to run for local office.
Arias noted he took a pay cut to leave his Fresno Unified job after being elected.
They also argued that councilmembers work many hours beyond the typical 40-hour work week, and many top city administrators make more than the city’s elected officials. Plus, the City Council is responsible for a nearly $2 billion budget.
“It’s really more than a job,” Esparza said. “It’s an around-the-clock lifestyle.”
The proposed ordinance will be on the agenda for formal adoption within 30 days.
