By Gary Nelson
The Arizona Republic
Five members have been appointed to a citizens panel that will recommend future pay adjustments for Mesa’s mayor and City Council members.
The council’s creation of the panel this summer sprang from a proposal by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, which has said the pay currently offered to Mesa’s elected officials may keep some qualified people from serving.
Mesa mayors currently make $38,000 a year and council members $19,000. The council has approved only two pay raises since the city charter was adopted in 1967.
The ordinance specifies that the commission have members from the business, educational and non-profit sectors, and two at-large members. It is required to have its first meeting this fall and at least once every two years thereafter, basing its recommendations on elected-official salaries in cities comparable to Mesa.
Mayor Scott Smith nominated, and the council approved:
