LANGLEY CITY COUNCIL: Council ponders possible increase in stipends [AUDIO] (SWR)
Kira Erickson reports for the South Whidbey Record from the Langley City Council meeting of Feb. 6, 2023.
Members of the Langley City Council are hoping to receive more fitting compensation for their roles.
During a city council meeting this week, the council agreed that Langley’s citizen-led Finance and Personnel Commission should take a closer look at the wages the Langley City Council receives, in comparison to other cities. The suggestion was brought up by Councilmember Gail Fleming.
Currently, council members receive $50 per month. If an increase were approved by the council, the changes would not take effect for the current council members who voted on it.
They Said It
“I definitely feel like the council could use more money for the amount of time that we put in doing city business,” Councilmember Harolynne Bobis said. “I also know the city is not awash in money, but I don’t want that to be the deciding factor.”
Councilmember Thomas Gill pointed to the lengthiness and frequency of meetings as a reason to pay the council more. He suggested considering a smaller stipend for meetings of other entities that a council member might attend, such as Island Transit.
“If it’s a barrier to younger parents, it would be very helpful for them to at least be able to pay for their sitting and they couldn’t possibly do that now with $50 a month, given that we meet sometimes two and even three times a month,” Councilmember Craig Cyr said.
Finance Director Wanda Grone pointed out that Port of South Whidbey commissioners receive a $100 stipend each month. Port commissioners meet regularly once a month.
“It discourages people from running for office,” she said about the low compensation for Langley’s council members.
| CITY OF LANGLEY |
| City Council: Two of five council positions are on the ballot. Position 3: Thomas E. Gill The Whidbey News-Times reported on May 5, 2023 that Christopher Carlson, the chairperson of the Langley Finance and Personnel Commission, will run for this seat. On Tue., May 16, Kay Kenneweg filed to run for this seat as well. Position 4: Craig Cyr Councilman Cyr filed to run for re-election on Mon., May 15. Mayor Chaplin filed to run for this seat on Fri., May 19. |
| Mayor: Scott Chaplin. Mayor Chaplin was appointed after the resignation of Tim Callison. This election will be for the remainder of Chaplin’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2023, and the succeeding four-year full term, which ends Dec. 31, 2027. In April 2023, Chaplin announced that he would not run to retain his seat. Councilman Thomas Gill filed his intention to run for mayor with the Public Disclosure Commission on May 6, 2023. Kennedy Horstman, a member of the city’s Dismantling Systemic Racism Advisory Group, announced her intention to run and filed with the PDC on May 12, 2023. |
