The City of Monroe is seeking applicants interested in serving on the city's first-ever salary commission.
The salary commission's function will be to set the salaries for Monroe's elected officials, including the mayor and the members of the city council. Candidates will be appointed to the five-person commission by the mayor, with each appointment subject to final approval by the city council. The application deadline is Friday, March 13.
The city is looking for one salary commissioner to serve a one-year term, ending on Dec. 31, 2015; two commissioners to serve two-year terms, ending on Dec. 31, 2016; and two commissioners to serve three-year terms ending on Dec. 31, 2017.
The commission will meet and complete its first review of the current salaries within 90 days of the commission's formation. During subsequent years, the commission will meet at least once a year.
Council compensation was last reviewed and updated in October 2013, when it transitioned from a per-meeting payment structure to a flat monthly rate of $600 per month. Prior to that, councilmembers were paid $100 per council meeting, with a maximum of $400 per month. The mayor of Monroe earns $3,000 per month, a figure that was not examined with the council compensation in 2013.
Salary commissions are governed by Washington state RCW, which establishes that salary increases are effective to all city elected officials, regardless of their terms of office. This is in contrast to the current system, in which councilmembers are disallowed from voting on their own pay increase.
Currently, if a pay increase is decided upon, council members are not eligible for that increase until the beginning of a new term.
To apply for a salary commissioner position, visit monroewa.gov/index.aspx?nid=416. Applicants may also contact City Clerk Elizabeth Smoot at esmoot@monroewa.gov or 360-863-4538 with further questions.
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