Park City’s elected officials on Thursday are scheduled to consider, and possibly approve, increasing wages by more than double what they earn on an annual basis.
Mayor Ryan Dickey and the Park City Council are slated to discuss and then vote on the compensation for the elected officials. The mayor, under the proposed increase, would earn $116,666 annually starting in July, up from the $55,209 the office now pays. Each of the five members of the City Council would earn $58,333 annually, up from the $28,520 they now receive.
The elected officials are also eligible for health benefits through the municipal government valued at $29,731 per year and have the option of receiving cash instead of the benefits. The mayor receives a $3,000 car allowance each year.
Elected officials are not prohibited from seeking outside employment or income streams, and many over the decades have done so.
If the increases in the wages are approved, the mayor’s total compensation, including benefits, would climb to $149,397 per year, and the city councilors’ total compensation would rise to $88,064 each.
Historically Park City elected officials have repeatedly approved increases in compensation for the offices, but it is unusual for the dollar figures to rise as sharply as they would in this case. Increases in the compensation of elected officials can sometimes be a sensitive issue with the approval falling to the people who would benefit financially from the decision.
Municipal budget and human resources staffers drafted a report supporting the increases in anticipation of a City Council meeting on Thursday. The report says staffers during the budget talks are “evaluating compensation for the Mayor and City Council to ensure that pay levels appropriately reflect the evolving demands of elected service in Park City.”
“For several years, compensation for these elected positions has remained largely static, even as the complexity of municipal governance, intergovernmental coordination, and policy oversight has increased substantially,” the report says. “The time commitment required to effectively represent Park City at the local, regional, and state levels has also grown, intensifying expectations around accessibility, technical competence, and community engagement.”
The proposed increases align “with recent market corrections implemented by peer organizations, including Summit County,” it says.
Increases at the proposed levels could be influential as Parkites weigh whether to seek elected office. There has been occasional concern that the compensation paid to the mayor and members of the City Council deters some who would otherwise mount a campaign.
That concern, it has been argued over the years, has led to candidate fields that do not represent the wide spectrum of Parkites and instead favor older, wealthier demographics. The next municipal election will be held in 2027, when three seats on the City Council will be on the ballot.
The municipal report notes that sort of argument, saying one of the primary objectives of the proposed increases is to remove “financial barriers to serving as an elected official and enabling a broader and more diverse range of residents to consider public service.”
The City Council meeting is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. at the Marsac Building and will be broadcast on the municipal website, parkcity.gov. A hearing is scheduled before a possible vote.