Council Pay Raises

[ Excerpted from the SBN-P, 7/7/2005 ]

Pay raises for the seven members of the Santa Barbara City Council quietly went into effect on Friday, and in a few weeks when they get their first checks, they'll see a 300 percent raise.

With the boost, council members are now getting $36,300 annually. The mayor is taking home $45,300...

Most of the elected officials say that the extra money will allow them to better serve the public.

"I am not complaining, because it is a great job to serve the people of Santa Barbara, even with no money," said 31-year-old Das Williams, a political consultant and the youngest member of the council. "But the last year and a half has been extremely difficult [for me] from a financial standpoint."

Supported by 53 percent of voters and a wide coalition of community groups, the raise sailed to approval last November...

The increase was intended to pay the current council members more money while encouraging qualified working-class people to run, who might not otherwise be able to because of the low pay.

In interviews with the News-Press, most City Council members said they hope to be more responsive to the public, work less at private jobs and even attend more fundraising parties...

Five people have announced plans to run for City Council in the Nov. 8 election... at least one candidate says he wouldn't have run if the raises weren't approved.

"That was something that held me back in the past," said Grant House, a former city planning commissioner, a renter and owner of Grant House Sewing Machines.


[ SBN-P full text online edition:
Council members say raises will help them serve better ]