Aurora aldermen debate compensation overhaul targeting roughly $32,000 base; committee to forward proposal to COW

The Aurora Finance Committee spent the latter portion of its Sept. 26 meeting deliberating alderman compensation, discussing competing approaches for how to reach a proposed new base pay and how to present the change to the full council. The committee did not vote but generally agreed to forward recommended numbers and rationale to the Committee of the Whole and to notify full council members for comment.

The chair reviewed the committee's prior work and expressed frustration that a last-minute amendment at the Committee of the Whole introduced new figures late in the process. Members discussed two approaches: incremental percentage-based increases across years tied to inflation versus a catch-up strategy to reach a specified target (described in discussion as about $32,050, roughly a 27% increase from projected prior-year levels). The chair framed the options: larger upfront increases to "get to the spot" so future cost-of-living adjustments can be modest, versus smaller incremental raises that prolong "playing catch up." "If you're going to get there, let's get there," one alderman said of the catch-up proposal.

Legal timing constraints were emphasized: because aldermanic terms are staggered and state law requires compensation to be set well in advance, the committee can only set compensation effective for particular future years; members noted this complicates cross-jurisdictional comparisons and forecasting. Several aldermen also urged that total compensation be presented (salary, per diems and subsidized health benefits) so voters understand the full package. Alderman Warming recommended reporting total compensation values when presenting the proposal to the Council to improve transparency.

The committee agreed to circulate the proposed numbers and supporting analysis to the full council in advance of the Committee of the Whole and to present the rationale and suggested schedule at COW; no formal vote was taken in the finance committee.