HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinally Adopt Ordinance 1878, Commission Compensation Changes Commission Memorandum
REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Chris Kukulski, City Manager
SUBJECT: Adoption of Ordinance 1878 (Commission Compensation Changes)
MEETING DATE: Monday, December 16, 2013
AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Consent
RECOMMENDATION: That the Commission determine whether to adjust the salaries of the Mayor
and Commissioners and the penalties for unexcused absences, and if so, adopt Ordinance 1878.
BACKGROUND: Mayor Becker asked for this motion to be considered by the Commission. Currently, Ordinance 1733 adopted on November 26, 2007 fixes the salaries of the City Commissioners
at $900.00 per month and the Mayor’s pay at $1,350.00 per month.
The annual salary amounts for the Mayor and Commissioners has not been adjusted since 2007. The
City of Bozeman Charter (approved November 7, 2006) states at Section 2.04, Compensation; Expenses: that “The City Commission may determine the annual salary of the Mayor and Commission
members by ordinance, but no ordinance increasing such salary shall become effective until the date of
commencement of the terms of Commission members elected at the next regular election. The Mayor
and Commission members shall receive their actual ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties of office.”
On December 2, 2013, the Commission provisionally adopted Ordinance 1878, which establishes a
$300.00/month increase to Commissioners’ salary and $450.00/month increase to the Mayor’s salary.
The guidelines for these amounts are discussed further below:
A lump sum adjustment to adjust for inflation and the cost of living.
Mayor Becker estimated a proposed $300.00/month increase to Commissioners’ pay. The Mayor
calculated this increase by using Bozeman’s minimum standards of living, including housing, public
access, and cost of living. This formula was arrived at by using the average Bozeman calculated rent of $850.00 per month and reduced by the margin of error to $799.00 per month. By then calculating for an estimated half-time commitment of Commissioners per month, and calculating that rent be no more than
1/3 of the cost of living, $300.00 was calculated as a lump sum increased adjustment. This adjustment
would automatically trigger a $450.00 increase to the Mayor’s pay. The new monthly salary would
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therefore amount to $1,200.00 for Commissioner’s and $1,800.00 for the Mayor. There is no proposal
to attach a COLA increase to this wage adjustment.
Accordingly, Section Two of the Ordinance would reflect the penalty for unexcused absences by Commissioners and Mayor to $300.00 and $450.00.
The change in compensation, as described in Sections One and Two of Ordinance 1878, will not go
into effect until the commencement of the terms of the city commissioners and mayor elected in
the 2015 general city election which date shall be the first regular meeting of the commission in January, 2016.
In addition to the considerations above, changes to Section Three of Ordinance 1733 amending the
language to end the sentence after “incidental expenses” instead of “such as telephone calls, local
mileage, supplies, and luncheon meetings” limits the need for alteration and updating of listed incidental expenses in the future. The effective date of the changes proposed in Section Three, specific to
incidental expenses, would take effect beginning in February 2014 in accordance with Sec. 2.04. of the Charter, which states, “The mayor and commission members shall receive their actual
ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties of office.”
UNRESOLVED ISSUES: None.
ALTERNATIVES: As suggested by Commission.
FISCAL EFFECTS: If a change is made to the Commission Pay Ordinance, it would affect the wage benefit expenditures accordingly.
Attachment: Ordinance 1878
Report compiled on: December 6, 2013
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ORDINANCE NO. 1878
Page 1 of 3
ORDINANCE NO. 1878
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA, AMENDING THE SALARIES OF THE CITY COMMISSIONERS AND MAYOR OF THE CITY OF BOZEMAN.
WHEREAS, Sec. 2.04 of the City of Bozeman Charter authorizes, the City Commission to determine the annual salary of the Commission and Mayor by ordinance; and
WHEREAS, said section of the Charter also requires that no ordinance increasing such
salary shall become effective until the date of commencement of the terms of commission
members elected at the next regular election; and WHEREAS, said section of the Charter authorizes the mayor and commission members
to receive, in addition to a salary, their actual ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties of office.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA:
Section 1
The salaries of the City Commissioners and the Mayor are hereby established as follows: for each month of service, the sum of $1,200.00 for each Commissioner. Pursuant to 2.02.150,
BMC, for each month of service, the salary of the Commissioner acting as Mayor shall be one
and one-half (1.5) times that of the other Commissioners, or the sum of $1,800.00.
Section 2 In the event of an unexcused absence from a Commission meeting by a Commissioner,
the sum of $300.00 shall be deducted from the monthly pay and for an unexcused absence by the
Mayor from a Commission meeting, the sum of $450.00 shall be deducted from the monthly pay.
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ORDINANCE NO. 1878
Page 2 of 3
Section 3
In addition to the salaries, the City Commissioners, other than the Mayor, shall receive a
monthly allowance of $60.00 for incidental expenses. The Mayor shall receive a monthly allowance of $90.00 for incidental expenses. The Mayor and City Commissioners may be
reimbursed for actual cost of other reimbursable expenses, such as registrations for conferences
and seminars, dinner meetings and other in-state or out-of-town travel and expenses.
Section 4
Effective Date.
The salaries listed in Section One and the provisions of Section Two shall be effective at
the commencement of the terms of the city commissioners and mayor elected in the 2015 general City election which date shall be the first regular meeting of the commission in January, 2016.
The monthly allowances as indicated in Section Three shall be effective 30 days after passage
and shall be applied beginning in February, 2014.
Section 5 Repealer.
All resolutions, ordinances and sections of the Bozeman Municipal Code and parts
thereof in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Section 6
Severability.
If any provisions of this ordinance or the application thereof to any person or
circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this
ordinance which may be given effect without the invalid provision or application and, to this
end, the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
Section 7 This Ordinance shall not be codified but shall be kept by the City Clerk and entered into a
disposition list in numerical order with all other ordinances as determined by the City Clerk.
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ORDINANCE NO. 1878
Page 3 of 3
PROVISIONALLY PASSED by the City Commission of the City of Bozeman,
Montana, on first reading at a regular session held on the 2nd day of December, 2013.
____________________________________
SEAN A. BECKER
Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________________ STACY ULMEN, CMC City Clerk
FINALLY PASSED, ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the City Commission of the City of Bozeman, Montana on second reading at a regular session thereof held on the 16th of December, 2013.
_________________________________ SEAN A. BECKER
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________ STACY ULMEN, CMC
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_________________________________
GREG SULLIVAN City Attorney
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