Council Launches Committee to Review Councilmember Compensation

The Pasadena City Council has unanimously approved the formation of a special committee to study and potentially revise city councilmember compensation, marking the first comprehensive review of council pay since 2001.

The green light was given on Monday, June 16, during the Council’s regular meeting.

The newly appointed eight-member committee will conduct a thorough examination of current council compensation, including monthly stipends, benefits, and reimbursement policies.

Councilmembers nominated one representative each, with appointments including Rita Moreno for the mayoral nomination and representatives from each of the city’s seven districts.

Councilmember Rick Cole highlighted the nature of the review, stressing the challenges of serving on the city council while maintaining a full-time job. “The real crucial issue after 20 years is how can we make it possible for anyone in the city to serve on our city council,” Cole stated during the June 16 council meeting.

The committee will explore several key topics, including:

• Expanding family care reimbursement beyond childcare
• Considering annual cost-of-living adjustments
• Addressing diversity and accessibility of council service
• Exploring additional benefit categories like education reimbursement

One public speaker underscored the importance of fair compensation, noting, “You’re administering a billion-dollar budget to have commissioners paid $20,000 to $25,000 a year is absurd.”

The committee is mandated to complete its work by October 1, with a status update scheduled for August 18. Any recommended changes will require approval by a two-thirds majority of the City Council.

City Manager Miguel Márquez noted that supporting the committee’s work will cost less than $15,000, to be absorbed by existing departmental budgets.

With Pasadena’s city council having not comprehensively reviewed compensation in nearly 25 years, the newly formed committee represents a significant step toward addressing the financial challenges of municipal public service.