Sacramento mayor and council to receive salary increases. Here’s how much
Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and the City Council’s eight members will receive salary increases next month as they try to finalize a budget that could include layoffs, fee hikes and reduced funding across departments.
The raises were unanimously approved this week by the city’s Compensation Commission, which reviews council salaries annually. The city charter directs the commission to set pay that is “reasonable and consistent” with comparable cities.
McCarty’s annual salary will now increase to $184,464 from $164,205. Council members will see their pay grow to $111,324 from $102,793.
The increases amount to a 12% raise for the mayor and 8% for council members. By comparison, recent city labor union raises ranged from 2% to 5%.
Sacramento’s elected body had last received raises in June 2023. A city staff survey found their compensation ranked near the bottom among leaders in cities such as Denver, Fresno, Long Beach, Portland, San Jose and Seattle.
Citing the disparity, all commission members supported the raises.
“It appears that compensation now being paid to Sacramento’s mayor and council members is no longer consistent with such compensation in other cities, similar in size and structure,” said Chairman Arthur Scotland, who voted against council raises the last two years.
The commission aligned McCarty’s salary with the mayor of Long Beach and council members’ pay with leaders in Fresno.
The increases will take effect June 14, shortly after the council is expected to approve its next budget. A proposed spending plan unveiled last month balanced the city’s $44 million deficit with a mix of fee increases and reduction strategies across departments. Among the suggestions are layoffs for the first time since 2013, eliminating vacant positions, raising parking fees and reduced funding for youth programs.
Human Resources Manager Ebony Heaven said Sacramento’s charter does not “explicitly require consideration” of the city’s financial situation, though the term “reasonable” could be interpreted to include awareness of broader factors. She also noted that city employees had received pay bumps in recent years to address cost-of-living increases.
Commissioners acknowledged repeatedly throughout the meeting that the raises could face public scrutiny given the city’s financial situation. But, they said, their decision was guided by charter requirements.
“You can’t make decisions for fear that you might irritate some people in the public,” said David Kawada, one of the five commissioners “We have to apply the rules.”
