Committee outlines pay ranges tied to minimum wage, proposes 20–40 hour framework

Members debated precisely how to present compensation numbers to council, settling on a framework that shows a range instead of a single figure. Staff recommended presenting three buckets—20, 30 and 40 hours per week—so council can see how compensation scales depending on the time expectation. "We came up with 52 weeks a year, a range of 20 to 40 hours a week, and I think we settle on 30," staff said.

To create a durable policy, committee members discussed anchoring compensation to the local minimum wage so the pay would index over time. Staff ran illustrative math: at a $15.65 minimum-wage anchor and a 30-hour typical week, the annual figure would be roughly $24,414. Members discussed that 20 hours might be the bare minimum for some incumbents and that 30 hours is a defensible anchor to reduce service burden and attract candidates.

Committee members flagged political optics and argued the presentation should couch numbers as ranges with supporting exhibits and the reasoning that led to the anchor choice.