Signal Hill leaders give themselves a raise

Signal Hill officials will get a small raise in their stipends.

The City Council unanimously voted June 28 to increase their monthly stipends by 35 percent, or another $173.04, to $667.44, with the increases costing $2,076.48 per councilmember aually, or $10,382.40 for the entire City Council.

“The adjustment won’t become effective until after the certification of the next general municipal election, which is scheduled for March 7, 2017,” City Manager Charlie Honeycutt said.

Stipends for the City Council have been adjusted twice in the past 13 years. They were increased last in 2009, when the pay went from $412 to $494.40 per month.

Under state law, council stipends may be adjusted 5 percent per year. Because the stipends in Signal Hill have not been raised in seven years, officials pegged this increase at 35 percent.

The council also bumped up stipends for commissioners, whose stipends have been adjusted twice since 1995, the last time in 2002.

Plaing commissioners go from getting paid $100 per month to $125 per meeting. Parks and Recreation and civil service commissioners go from $50 per month to $65 per meeting.

The commissioner stipend raise took effect July 1.

Officials requested a report on council and commission compensation, which was presented at a June 14 meeting of the City Council.

The state’s govement code sets compensation levels for council members based on the population of the city. Those up to 35,000 people may set a salary of $300 per month. Salary adjustments may only take effect at the begiing of a new term of office of one or more of the members of the council, and councils may only adjust their salaries once every two years.

Commissioner stipends have been adjusted twice since 1995, with the last time in 2002, officials said.

The council also is considering a stipend increase for the city clerk and city treasurer, whose stipends of $300 were set in 1988, and went into effect in 1990.

The two positions were eligible for 130 percent stipend raises, or 26 years at 5 percent per year, which would have brought their total monthly stipends to $690. A 35 percent stipend raise would bring their monthly stipend to $405.

The council could approve the raises as soon as July 12. If approved, the increases could go into effect after the March 2017, or after the March 2019 general election.

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Vice Mayor Tina L. Hansen cautioned the council not to wait so long between addressing stipend raise issues.

“I would like to suggest that instead of waiting so many years in between these increases like we’ve been doing, that we bring them back yearly along with the budget,” Hansen said.