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Being a city council member can sometimes mean a full-time commitment for less than part-time pay. Senate Bill 329, signed in June 2023 by Gov. Gavin Newsom, aims to address this by increasing pay caps for local elected officials. Many cities on the Peninsula have already responded by raising city council compensation, while other cities, like Menlo Park, are looking to do the same.
The bill gives cities a one-time opportunity to “reset” city council compensation to keep up with inflation and help improve diversity on councils statewide. This is the first time that the compensation limits for California city council members have been updated since 1984.
“No one runs for city council to get rich,” said State Sen. Bill Dodd, the author of the bill, in a statement released when it was signed this past summer. California State Conference of the NAACP and the League of California Cities, among other groups, supported by the bill. “But the low levels of pay make it much harder to balance careers and personal obligations with the calling to serve their community. It’s especially hard for working people and those from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds.”
The passage of SB 329 has already prompted several cities around the Bay Area to look at increasing pay for their city council members. Since the bill was passed, Belmont, Los Altos, Palo Alto, San Carlos and San Mateo have increased monthly compensation for their council members.
In 2014, Mountain View voters passed Measure A, which bumped up the salaries of its city council members from $600 to $1,000 per month, along with automatic adjustments each year based on the rate of inflation. A previous effort in 2006 to raise salaries to $1,500 was narrowly defeated at the ballot box.
Menlo Park may soon join the other Peninsula cities that have already increased their councilors’ pay. During a March 12 meeting, the Menlo Park City Council received an informational brief about the history of its council pay increases, and the possible benefits and impacts of increasing City Council compensation.
SB 329 allows for different pay caps based on the population of the city, ranging from $950 monthly in cities with fewer than 35,000 residents, to $3,200 monthly in cities where the population exceeds 250,000. City councils can still increase compensation beyond the limits of this initial “reset,” but future pay hikes are not to exceed 5% each year, or the rate of yearly inflation as determined by the California Consumer Price Index, whichever is greater. Menlo Park’s population of 32,475 residents means that the city falls under the $950 monthly pay limit.
Under the previous compensation structure for California city council members, council stipends for cities with under 35,000 residents were limited to $300 per month. There were only minimal allowances for adjustments to keep up with inflation, which has risen over 300% since limits were last set in 1984.
In a comment made during the March 12 meeting, Menlo Park City Council member Maria Doerr pointed out just how far Menlo Park City Council compensation has fallen behind inflation.
“In November 1965, the amount per month for City Council was $150,” she said. “I enjoy looking at inflation calculators, and I was curious: What does $150 in 1965 mean today? Today, that would be $1,482 per month. … What about in November 2000 when it was set at $640 a month? That in today’s dollars would be $1,169.”
Currently, Menlo Park council members are paid $640 monthly, for a total of $7,680 yearly. They are also eligible for retirement and health care benefits, which are not counted when determining pay under SB 329.
The Menlo Park City Council has not voted to increase their compensation since the year 2000. If Menlo Park elects to pay each council member the maximum monthly stipend that is now allowed, each would make $11,400 yearly, which would cost the city $57,000 annually. This would be a 66% pay increase.
Compensation for Menlo Park City Council members currently ranks near the middle of other similarly sized cities on the Peninsula. The highest paid city council in the region is Colma’s, where council members make $961 monthly. Whereas some city councils, such as in Atherton, Portola Valley and Woodside, operate on a volunteer basis and are uncompensated.
Despite the low monthly pay, the job of a city council member, even in a smaller city, is often a very demanding one.
“There have been weeks when the job has been more than full time,” said Menlo Park City Council member Jen Wolosin in an email to this news organization. “Duties include constituent services, meetings with staff and stakeholders, policy research, regional board and committee meetings, meeting preparation and more.”
Other Menlo Park City Council members agree that high demands are often placed on their time, which can discourage people from running for office.
“On average you’re looking at 10 to 20 hours per week — I think even 10 hours is being very conservative,” said Menlo Park Vice Mayor Drew Combs. “It is a really big time commitment, and it is to some degree elevated volunteerism. For a lot of people there isn’t the ability to fit the job in their lives when they don’t get compensated for it. … The system we have is certainly one that by default excludes a lot of people.”
Combs has even taken time away from his full-time job to attend to his council duties.
“That has been a standard part of my service in this role,” he said. “And I have dialed into meetings from vacation with my family. I have dialed in some cases from work trips too.”
‘That has been a standard part of my service in this role. And I have dialed into meetings from vacation with my family. I have dialed in some cases from work trips too.’
Menlo Park Mayor Drew Combs
The people who are most discouraged from running for office by time commitments and low pay tend to be “low-income residents, single parents, people of color and young people,” according to a statement released by the League of California Cities.
Some Bay Area council members have even resigned before the end of their terms, citing high cost of living, low pay and the need to support their families.
In cities like Atherton where cost of living is extraordinarily high and council members are not compensated, the pool of candidates may be limited to an even greater extent.
When asked whether compensating council members would open up the opportunity to serve to more people, Atherton Mayor Diana Hawkins-Manuelian said in an email “practically speaking, having this be a non-paid job, limits it to those who can afford to work without pay and have the time to attend meetings. I was thrilled that we recently brought on Stacy Holland Miles to the council. She is a mom of a toddler. She brings a refreshingly different perspective and lived experience to the council. Perhaps having it be a paid position may allow more and different types of people to do this work.”
Deputy City Manager/City Clerk Anthony Suber said that the town’s “council members all have a profound commitment to public service.”
Menlo Park City Council members are excited about the prospect of higher compensation opening up the role to more people.
During the March 12 City Council meeting, Doerr said: “I’m excited for parents to be able to serve on council, folks from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to be able to serve on council, and was excited to see that this is an opportunity to look at compensation for council members moving forward.”
‘I’m excited for parents to be able to serve on council, folks from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to be able to serve on council, and was excited to see that this is an opportunity to look at compensation for council members moving forward.’
Menlo Park City Council member Maria Doerr
However, in an area where cost of living is so high, some contend that looking at compensation alone may not go far enough. Combs remarked that looking at other aspects of the job in addition to compensation may help to attract more diverse candidates for local office in Menlo Park.
“I think compensation is one piece of it, but I would really like to see these positions become more attractive to a more diverse array of folks in our community,” he said. “I don’t know exactly how that happens, whether it’s compensation, or greater management of time commitment, or some combination of things. It’s a weakness of the system that so few talented, smart and passionate folks are able to take on this position.”
Though the hours are long and the pay is low, many city council members do their work primarily because it is important to them.
“For many of us it’s a labor of love for our community,” said Wolosin. “Sadly, not everyone who may be interested in serving has the flexibility, support and resources to do so.”
Hawkins-Manuelian feels similarly, saying in an email: “The Atherton council do this work as a form of community service and philanthropy. That means more of the city funds go directly to spending on the city. I find this work time consuming, but very personally rewarding.”
Menlo Park city staff plan to host a city council compensation study session to explore the possibility of increasing pay for the city’s council members. Any increase of pay that may be adopted would go into effect in November 2024, when city council elections are held, or later.