A majority of the borough assembly supports changing municipal law to pay the mayor and assembly a few thousand dollars a year for their work, but it would require a change in the municipal charter to adopt such a compensation plan.
“If this would get one or two more younger people (to serve on the assembly) … to start giving us their ideas … I’m all for this,” Assembly Member David Powell said as members discussed the proposal at their Feb. 13 meeting.
“I think it would bring in a younger wave of people,” said Assembly Member Anne Morrison.
Though members discussed a proposal put forth by borough staff to adopt a pay structure by ordinance, borough officials later realized it would require an amendment to Wrangell’s municipal charter.
The charter, which was adopted when Wrangell organized as a borough in 2008 and which is similar to the city charter that preceded it, specifically prohibits any compensation of assembly members or the mayor.
The assembly could vote to present a charter amendment to the public in any regular October municipal election or a special election.
“In the long term, you will attract more people to the assembly,” Interim Borough Manager Mason Villarma said in presenting the pay structure as an ordinance.
The proposal would pay the mayor $225 per assembly meeting, with assembly members to receive $150 per meeting. Members would be paid only for the meetings they attend.
The assembly generally meets twice a month, with just one meeting in August and one in December.
At the proposed rates, assembly members could earn $3,600 for attending 24 meetings a year, with $5,400 for the mayor.
The proposed amounts for Wrangell are the same that Petersburg pays its assembly members and mayor.
More than a dozen cities and boroughs in Alaska pay a monthly stipend to their elected officials, with Sitka at $250 a month for assembly members and $500 a month for the mayor. The city of Ketchikan pays $300 a month to the mayor and council members.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough pays both a monthly rate and a per-meeting amount.
Villarma noted that in addition to the assembly meetings, Wrangell’s elected officials spend a lot of time in committee meetings, studying their homework and holding discussions with borough officials and the public.
The assembly also discussed that younger residents with families could incur child care expenses to attend meetings, deterring them from running for office.
“I in no way view this as a paid job,” Assembly Member Bob Dalrymple said, adding that he would prefer to send the question out to the public.
At the suggestion of Assembly Member Jim DeBord, the members voted that any assembly member should be able to opt out of being paid for the work, though that proposal will have to be considered again if the assembly decides to seek a charter amendment.
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