2019.07.22 Council Agenda Item 06
Summary
Public Hearing on an amendment to the Code of Ordinances, Section 2-25 Compensation, to update councilor compensation.
A public comment period will be included with this item (5 minutes per person).
ACTION: Schedule order.
Description
The rate of compensation Falmouth offers its town councilors has not been updated in at least 20 years, and lags behind the rate used for comperable towns. The proposed amendment would increase councilor compensation from $40/meeting to $75/meeting, and would provide an additional stipend for the council chair.
At a previous Council meeting, Councilor Jay Trickett cited a section of the Charter, Section 205. Compensation. This section states that no increase in compensation shall take effect until the next Town fiscal year. The FY20 budget included an increase in compensation but this section of the Charter will prohibit an increase in compensation. The Town Manager consulted with the Town Attorney to determine if the Council could receive expense reimbursements and she confirmed that this would be possible because the Charter language speaks to compensation in the form of wages. Not unlike other town employees, the Council could submit requests for expense reimbursements. The budget would allow up to $75/month. If the Council determines that this is an acceptable practice for FY20, it is recommended that the Council act to allow such reimbursements and set a limit, if so desired. It would be up to each Councilor to submit a log of eligible expenses, such as mileage, cell phone use, internet use, etc.
A letter of introduction and a copy of the proposed ordinance language are attached.
