By, Melissa Jewett, Publisher
Tonight our City Council will vote to hike their compensation by 52.64%.
While doing my due diligence of many hours of research for this story, I found that since 2009 the vote to hike their compensation has come up almost every year.
In February 2011, the Council’s compensation was $500 per month and they were pushing to bring it to $1250 per month, which would have been a 150% increase, and the Mayor’s monthly compensation was $750 per month and wanted to move it to $1500 per month.
That year each council member’s expense account was $12k a year and Mayor’s was 18k.
If you have read any of what I have written in the past, you know I am all about the numbers, so here we go.
2011: Council: Monthly salary of $500 + $500 (optional as they do not have to accept) plus $75 per month for a cell phone or take a city issued cell phone. Plus the $12K a year expense package. ( $24,900 each per year)
2011: Mayor: Monthly salary of $$750 per month + $500 (optional, does not have to accept) plus his $75 cell phone reimbursement….totaling $1325 per month. Plus his 18k per year expense package.
So in 2011, the taxpayers were paying a max of $33,900 per year for the Mayor and a max total of $24,900 per council member x 6 council members = $149,000.
It did pass so a whopping $182,000k a year that came out of the San Marcos Taxpayers wallet!
According to the budget numbers for 2013-2014 expenditures state “Original/Approved was a whopping $276,800k for the entire Dais….coming out of the San Marcos Taxpayers wallet.
Take a look below at what our elected officials, you know, the ones that are supposed to work for us are currently proposing.
The first vote for this RAISE is on tonight’s agenda…. and has already been built into the budget they passed in September 2014…..hmmm.
According to the City of San Marcos’ current fiscal year budget that runs October 1, 2014 – September 30, 2015 (link to SM website budget http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/modules/showdocument.aspx?documentid=11392) on pages 111-112 states EXPECTED COSTS….
So back in the beginning of last year, as with municipalities, as soon as one budget passes, they start working on the following year budget.
The Audit & Finance Committee consists of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem, any council member that wants to be on it, the City Manager, Asst. City Manager, and the Finance Director gave a recommendation of raising City Council’s salary….
Therefore, a committee that our City Council holds a majority on, gave our city council a recommendation to raise the salary of City Council….Yes, you read that correctly.
The expenditures for 2013-2014 state, “Original/Approved was $276,800k
- Workers Compensation: $171
- Medicare: $2417
- City FICA: $10,343k
- Telephone: $8280k
- Supplies-Council: $6000k
- Council Dues & Subscriptions: $28,250k (increase of 17.7% over last year)
- Council Related Items: $60,000k
- Specialized Council Travel: $20,000k
- Council Travel-Mayor: $18,000k
- Council Travel Pl.1 (L. Prewitt): $12,000k
- Council Travel Pl.2 (J. Prather): $12,000k
- Council Travel Pl.3 (J. Thomaides): $12,000k
- Council Travel Pl.4 (J. Hughson): $12,000k
- Council Travel Pl.5 (R. Thomason) $12,000k
- Council Travel Pl.6 (S. Scott): $12,000k
- Mayor-Compensation/Reimb: $20,400k (increase of 41.7% from last year)
- Place 1 Compensation/Reimb: $17,400k (increase of 52.6% from last year)
- Place 2 Compensation/Reimb: $17,400k (increase of 52.6% from last year)
- Place 3 Compensation/Reimb: $17,400k (increase of 52.6% from last year)
- Place 4 Compensation/Reimb: $17,400k (increase of 52.6% from last year)
- Place 5 Compensation/Reimb:$17,400k (increase of 52.6% from last year)
- Place 6 Compensation/Reimb: $17,400k (increase of 52.6% from last year)
The TOTAL 2014-2015 expected cost for our Mayor and City Council is $323,050k an increase of 16.7% from last fiscal year.
We all know the Mayor gets a tad bit more than council, but for the sake of simplicity take $323,050 divided by 7= $46,150.00 per year
This is a difference of $49,908k in spending from just the year before!
This is more money than the current average salary for a San Marcos Resident.
San Marcos City Council Budget Expenditures for Fiscal Year:
- 2012-2013: $220,327k
- 2013-2014: $300,353k
- 2014-2015: $350,261k
If they decide to vote themselves their own raise tonight, it will need a second vote, and according to another local article, one of our council members said it would more than likely be back the very next meeting.
But…if this actually passes both votes, in the last 3 years our expenses, yours mine and all San Marcos Residents will have gone up a total of…..$129,934k in 3 years for this city council.
***On another note, late this afternoon, I put in several calls to other cities around Texas to find out what they are paying their local City Councils, and I will report this information back to you as soon as I receive and process all the data as time is of the essence on this issue.