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Inland Empire

City Council Approves 5% Pay Raise for Mayor and Members

City Council Approves 5% Pay Raise for Mayor and Members

The Riverside City Council voted to increase the salaries of the mayor and council members by 5% on Tuesday, January 14. The decision raises the mayor’s monthly salary to $7,604.10 and councilmembers’ to $3,810.45. In a separate vote, the council also approved raising the car allowance for councilmembers from $350 to $500 per month.

The salary increase required five affirmative votes to pass, which it received despite opposition from two council members. The car allowance increase passed unanimously.

City Clerk Donesia Gause presented the item, explaining that the city charter requires a review of mayor and council compensation every odd-numbered year. The last salary adjustment occurred in March 2023.

Councilmember Chuck Conder opposed the salary increase, stating, “I believe that we are employees of the people. And if the salary needs to be increased, then the Charter Review Committee needs to put that on the ballot. And our bosses, our employers, should decide if we’re going to get an increase.”

Councilmember Jim Perry also voted against the salary increase but supported the car allowance adjustment. “For me, it comes down to public service. For me, this isn’t about the money. It’s about the service to the community,” Perry said.

Other council members argued that the increase was justified given the full-time nature of their roles and rising costs.

Councilmember Philip Falcone noted, “I work at least 80 hours a week. And so I think that $130 and change a month is money well spent.”

Councilmember Steven Robillard added, “This is a full-time position, and I don’t think a position done in service is exclusive of compensation for it.”

The discussion highlighted the challenges councilmembers face in balancing public service with fair compensation.

Mayor Pro Tem Sean Mill pointed out that even with the increase, council salaries remain relatively low. “Just to put this in perspective, a 5% raise means $181.45 to councilmembers,” he said.

Mill also advocated for the car allowance increase, citing comparisons with other California cities. “San Bernardino, which is the 18th largest city in California, their council gets a $725 car allowance. Irvine, the 13th largest city, gets $715. Anaheim, the 10th largest city, $650,” he said.

One public commenter, Lewis Allen, suggested tying council salaries to the city’s average household income. “I think the mayor should be getting the $90,000, and the City Council should get two-thirds of that,” Allen said, referring to Riverside’s average household income of about $90,000.

The salary increase will cost the city approximately $10,971 for the remainder of the 2024-25 fiscal year and $21,284 for the fiscal year 2025-26, including fringe benefits.

The council also directed that the topic of mayor and council salaries be referred to the upcoming Charter Review Committee, which will convene ahead of the 2028 election.