The Desert Hot Springs City Council is making the final moves to give themselves a pretty nice raise, with their pay doubling in 30 days.
Via KESQ:
The council on Jan. 21 voted to more than double the monthly base salaries for council members, representing what would be their first pay raise in 18 years.
The ordinance will be read a mandated second time today and in 30 days, go into effect.
The move would see the mayor’s base salary increase from $650 to $1,429.68, and for council members, from $550 to $1,111.62. The raises would be the first for the council since 2002.
And while the move will cost city taxpayers an additional $36,000 a year – which is a lot for a city like Desert Hot Springs, which could use more sidewalks, services, etc. – you do have to give the council credit for making it through their long meetings without falling asleep.
The city says the rates are the average for elected officials across the Coachella Valley, which is a weird way to establish compensation, but so is voting on your own pay raise.