The Signal Hill City Council voted on Tuesday to hold public hearings next month on increasing compensation for council members, as well as the city clerk and city treasurer, by 10% starting in December 2024.
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%, or an amount equal to the level of inflation since Jan. 1, 2024.
Since the city council did not take a pay increase in 2023, city staff recommended that they vote for a 10% increase in their compensation. City staff said this would bring city council members to the pay level they would have been at if they had accepted increases during those two years.
If the 10% pay increase is approved by the city council, council member’s compensation will increase from $722.18 a month to $794.40, while the city clerk and city treasurer’s monthly pay will increase from $438.22 to $482.04. These pay increases combined will represent an additional annual cost of $5,384.81 for the City of Signal Hill.
State law also requires that cities hold two public hearings where residents can comment on the ordinances to increase compensation for these roles. Councilmembers voted to schedule these hearings during the upcoming city council meetings on May 14 and May 28. The ordinance could be adopted during the second public hearing.
During these hearings, the city council will also discuss and vote on whether to add pay increases for the council members, city clerk and city treasurer to the planned annual development of the city budget in March and April.
Signal Hill City Council meetings are held biweekly on Tuesdays at 7 p.m, and can be watched online live or as a recording on Granicus.
