The Signal Hill City Council voted on Tuesday to periodically review the compensation of city council members, the city clerk and the city treasurer every two years.
The review would coincide with the creations of the two-year city budget and municipal elections in even-numbered years.
According to the California government code, city council members are allowed to vote to increase their compensation each year. Recent legislation signed into law last summer, SB 329, allows city councils to choose between the standard increase of up to 5% per year, or an amount equal to the level of inflation since Jan. 1, 2024.
Since the most recent compensation increase in 2022, city council members have earned $722.18 per month, while the city treasurer and clerk earn $438.22.
City law requires that the city council members’ salaries can only be changed through an ordinance. Two ordinances to increase compensation for the city council members, clerk and treasurer starting at the end of this year were introduced on Tuesday. City staff did not say when the two ordinances would return for a vote.
Since the city council did not take a pay increase in 2023, city staff recommended during its April 9 meeting that council members receive a 10% increase in their compensation.
If this ordinance passes, compensation for council members will increase to $794.40, and the pay for the city clerk and treasurer will increase to $482.04. This will add up to a total additional annual cost of $5,384.
