Disclaimer: The comments in this blog are my personal opinion and may or may not reflect an adopted position of the city of Glendale and its city council.
For those of you who vote by mail you have probably received your Glendale ballot. In fact you may have received two ballots thanks to Adrian Fontes, the current Mauicopa County Recorder. Once again, the County Recorder messed up. Instead of putting the school district issues and Glendale issues on one ballot, they printed two separate ballots for about 4,000 of Glendale’s voters. I am one of those. When you receive them vote on both ballots and mail back both ballots in their correct envelopes.
This blog is devoted to the question of city council pay raises. Let me start at the beginning. The State of Arizona delivered another mandate to cities requiring all Primary Elections to be moved from the third Tuesday of the month to the first Tuesday of the month. It required all charter cities (Glendale is one) to be in compliance prior to the first Tuesday of August, 2020.
City Council made the decision to hold a Special Election to bring the city into conformance as soon as possible. The first date a city election could be held was November 5th of this year. Council decided that as long as a Special Election was to be held for one issue, it might as well add the question of city council raises, if that was the citizen Council Compensation Committee’s recommendation.
The citizen Council Compensation Committee made their recommendation to raise council salaries and place it on the ballot. Council agreed and added the question to that of the question of changing the Primary Election date to come into conformance with the state mandate.
Not all Metropolitan Phoenix cities allow voters to approve council salary increases. In Surprise, for instance, their Council approves pay increases by resolution. Recently they did just that and increased their salaries by resolution. Their salaries will be reviewed and adjusted in every city election year—in other words, every other year.
I believe I have earned a raise and I make no apology for stating such. In 1992, my first year as a councilmember, Glendale had a population of about 158,000, about 1200 employees and a total budget of about $500 million dollars. In 2019, Glendale has a population of about 250,000, about 2000 employees and a total budget of about $750 million dollars.
The first council raise I received was in 2006 after 10 years of service for me (I had a 4 year hiatus). It was in actuality, 14 years before councilmember salaries were raised from $12,000 to $34,000 a year upon recommendation of a citizen Council Compensation Committee and subsequent voter approval. It was an increase of $22,000 over 14 years or $1571 per year.
If the voters approve the current recommended salary increase it will have been another 10 years of service for me (I had a second 4 year hiatus). It will have actually been another 14 years if councilmember salaries are raised from $34,000 to $52,000. It would be an increase of $18,000 over 14 years or $1285 per year.
I said I earn it and I will try to convey why. I don’t think that unless you’ve been a local elected official that one can appreciate the requirements of the job. I think that everyone assumes that we vote at a council meeting every other Tuesday and that’s all there is to it. Not so. Hours and days are highly irregular and can include every day of the week (including Sunday) from an early morning breakfast event at 7 or 7:30 am to a regional dinner or banquet that ends at 10 or 11 pm. Because of the irregular hours and days, there are days that are 12 hour days and other days (not as often) that can be 4 or 5 hour work days.
Add other activities, meetings and events. I chair the Council Business Committee and the Council Government Services Committee. I also serve on the Council Code Review Committee and the Arizona League of Cities Budget and Finance Committee. Add preparation time and travel time for those meetings.
Speaking of travel time, I still drive a 2004 model car. I am certainly not living high on the hog. After taxes, I take home about $25,000. The major annual mileage (80%) on the car is strictly for city business. I pay for all gas and maintenance. The city does not reimburse me and if it did, I would not put in for it. My cell phone is my personal cell and I pay the monthly bill. Again the majority of use (90%) is city related for I still have a landline at home that is used for friends and family. The city does not reimburse me and if it did, I would not put in for it. Or how about the use of my personal computer and tablet and related costs for an internet connection and for paper and toner? I often print material so that I have something on which to make notes as I study the issue. I pay personally for all of those items.
Speaking of paying for work related items, I consider some civic memberships to be essential as an elected official but I pay for those memberships personally. One, for example, is the Glendale Chamber of Commerce. When I have a working lunch that does not include city topics exclusively, I pay for the attendees (sometimes accepted, sometimes not) or at least my own tab from my personal funds. If it is strictly city related, such as meeting high school principals for breakfast, I will use my city credit card. It’s a fine, ethical line and I tend to err on the side of caution. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some expenses but you get the idea.
Then there are meetings, seemingly endless meetings…with staff on issues from streets and traffic light issues to Police and Fire Promotion Ceremonies. There are also monthly one-on-one meetings with our City Attorney, City Manager and Council Office Manager on current or upcoming issues. There are texts, emails and one-on-one meetings with my Council Assistant. Then there are one-on-one constituent or HOA meetings that can last from an hour to several hours.
Now add a sprinkling of City Events from Caesar Chavez or Martin Luther King Day to Glendale Glitters to Tractor Days at Sahuaro Ranch. Everyone assumes that we get lots of freebie events such as concerts at the city owned Gila River Arena. I have never gone to a concert that I have not personally paid for. The city does have a suite at the arena and when asked by the City’s Economic Development department to attend I go because it is my job. I barely pay attention to the event because we are asked to attend to make connections with economic development prospects in attendance. The city has no suite in the football stadium and I have never attended a Super Bowl game hosted by Glendale. There was one time that I was offered the opportunity to buy 2 Super Bowl tickets at the face value of $600 each. I passed. I couldn’t afford it. The 2 times I attended a Super Bowl it was out-of-town when the city was preparing to host it’s first ever Super Bowl and those were big time learning curve trips. If I attend anything at the stadium I have paid, just like you, to be there. The city does have a suite at Camelback Ranch and I have only been in it as part of my job, for events such as Opening Day or for the closing ceremonies of a Youth Baseball League.
I’m not done yet. A major part of my job as a councilmember is solving constituent problems. The majority of the time I am successful but not always. In some instances the city has no law or code to address an issue. I am readily accessible by cell phone, 602-320-3422, and have received calls at 10 pm at night regarding football game day parking in a neighborhood to a 6 am call advising me that the Grand Canal Park’s sprinklers were flooding an area. Sometimes I can’t answer because I am at an event or in a meeting but I do try to return them at my earliest opportunity. I attend neighborhood meetings, HOA meetings and one-on-one meetings with constituents. Each typically lasts from one to several evening hours. I host district-wide meetings twice a year and mail out a district-wide newsletter twice a year as well. I offer an online E News letter once a week. I use social media and have a Facebook page devoted to city news and events. I can’t write this blog as frequently as I would like to. Here it is, nearly 11 o’clock this evening and I may finish writing and editing by 1 am. It’s quiet now and I can think about this issue yet I know I will pay for it tomorrow as my first city commitment is at 9:30 am.
Here is another task to add to this ever growing list and that is research and preparation for council workshops and voting meetings. Forget having a free weekend. Typically we receive the council workshop agenda on a Wednesday before the Tuesday meeting and the council voting meeting agenda on the Friday before the Tuesday meeting. Since there isn’t much free time during the week, I like most of the other councilmembers, end up using either our Saturday or Sunday afternoons doing our “homework.” It often entails a flurry of emails to staff members to get further information or to ask questions on an agenda topic. It easily consumes all afternoon. Follow up often takes additional time on Monday mornings.
Once again, I know there are probably other activities that I have forgotten to include as I write this. I think you get the idea. It is a job that requires flexibility; intelligence; curiosity; and patience.
In some instances it can be a thankless job for never, ever, is everyone pleased with a decision made or a vote cast. I rarely receive a ‘thank you’ nor do I expect it. I will often hear from some citizens when they think my decision or vote was not what they wanted or expected. Despite all of that I love my job. Why? Because of the variety of the job. No two days are ever alike. There is always something new to learn.
I think I am good at my job. I’m accessible and committed. I love Glendale and I love my district, the Yucca district. My district is hot. It’s where the majority of new economic development and new residential development is occurring. It keeps me busy meeting with potential economic developers.
In 1992, when I first became the Yucca district councilmember it was a part time job. Today, it is a full time job. City issues are far more complex. The city’s population increase means there are more constituents in each district and hence more constituent demands on a councilmember’s time. The use of the internet and social media has added a whole new dimension to the job. Have I earned a raise? I believe so and I hope after reading this you believe so too. No matter how you vote on the two Glendale issues please remember to vote and to exercise a freedom not found in many countries in our world. I already voted. Did you?
© Joyce Clark, 2019
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Thank you Joyce for explaining the pay raise issue. This is long overdue. I quit teaching after nine years because of low pay and I would never run for council at $32,000 salary. this is less than poverty, less than the garbage truck driver makes, less than almost any job I can think of especially when you deduct all the personal expenses you have.
In my opinion you have the most important job in the city since the Mayor and Council make the decisions.
We have the best council and Mayor and they deserve the long overdue pay raise.
PLEASE VOTE YES
I am in favor of the pay raises although for a somewhat different reason. While I agree that you and the other members have earned it, there are other issues favoring it. First, no other job has kept pay for a position the same for 13 years. Had the increase been incremental over the years, the percentage would not be so large now. But that did not occur. Second, it is important to raise the pay to attract qualified candidates to run. There may be people who would serve our city well but can not afford to take the job at the current pay.
The real dispute that I have heard is, once again, the process. As I understand it, one council member chose all 5 people on the committee. I know at least one of them and highly respect her and have no doubt they reached the right result. But there is a growing sense that the city is not doing things in a fair and open manner. Selling a building for $25k without putting it on the market. Approving a terrible logo with no public input (despite the contract calling for it).
Personally, I’ve struggled with this issue. Do we give up the right result because the process was not right? With respect to the sale of the building and the logo, I still strongly believe those should have been on hold while the correct process was put into place. But on this issue, the reality is that an independent commission did this work. It would have been better if each council member had appointed someone. But on this issue, I think the broader issue is the impact for future candidates, not just the ones serving now. That’s why I am voting yes.
My only correction is that one councilmember did NOT appoint all members of the citizen bond committee. I, for one, had a Yucca district appointee serve on the committee. The logo is a disaster. I publicly stated that I did not approve of or like it. It’s no more than a version of the Google ‘G’. As for selling the building, the city received NO viable offers until C&D.
Joyce I agree you deserve a raise. You do everything you say you do, you are honest and fair.
Being a city council member is a full time job- I have no idea how anybody can work another full time job and devote the proper amount of time and energy towards serving on the council.
As previously mentioned, a lot of potentially good candidates don’t run because they can’t afford to do the job and survive on the low salary.
Please keep up the good work and don’t forget you have many supporters in the community!
For some strange reason, supporters don’t speak up as loudly as detractors. It’s been like that for a long time and I’m sure it will never change- we just have to go with it.
Joyce, I agree on how hard you work for your constituents but you are the exception. All Council knew when they were elected that this is not a high paying job and the hours are long. Remember, yourself and I had that very conversation a few years back. The Council and Mayor work for the citizens, setting policy direction for the city. They do not, per se, work for the city. The way the city wants to increase the wages for Council by the City Manager is not the correct way to go. The Council and Mayor rate the City Manager and decide his compensation and now he will decide yours. I think everyone can see the problem with that. The transparency with the pay raise issue was not there, it seemed to be decided during summer recess.The city manager is doing whatever he wants even after being given direction without any consequences, i.e., Glendale Logo. The city continues to expand the organization with the implementation of three more Deputy City Manager level positions costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and yet sell amenities such as the Glen Lakes and the city cemetery as it is costing them money. The city cemetery is being sold for $100,000.00 plus $2,000,000.00 taken from Perpetual Care Fund. The staff is saying it is costing the city $100,000.00 per year to operate the cemetery but if they invested the Perpetual Care Fund money as allowed by statue, there would not be a problem. Everyone may wonder what all this has to do with salary increases? Its simple. Lack of transparency on everything our city manager does and the city council going along with everything he suggests. I think when the Mayor and Council start listening to the citizens, people may be more accepting of giving council a raise but certainly not as proposed by the city. Service on the Council and as the Mayor are civic service not paid jobs. Do commission members get compensated? Of course not, its their civic duty. What other cities don’t go through its citizens in deciding pay raises? The state legislature is voted raises and most cities do this. Voting pay raises for politicians through citizen voting is a reflection on how happy they are with their representatives. If citizens are treated well, they will vote in raises. I think the current sentiment is that citizens are ignored, specially when citizens comments are placed at the end of city council meetings. That speaks very loudly how valued we as citizens are and that will be reflected in the voting for a pay raise.
Did you all read the article about the be Best in the West PAC supporting the ballot initiative. SMH. Joyce, you are underpaid but I cannot vote Yes on this initiative for 2 reasons. The first, the process was questionable. I have never seen any government process move so quickly. Second, I don’t feel it is appropriate to amend the city charter in a way that takes power from the people.
While I might agree Council pay needs reviewed, the process used and now all this BIG MONEY pushing the initiative, spreading lies and mis-truths, I can only hope the voters let it fall on deaf ears. Glendale needs to be a leader but NOT in council pay. If a raise is appropriate in 2019, it will be appropriate in 2020 and I sure don’t think taking the voters voice out of future pay decisions is the right thing for Glendale. Today the whole thing has the perception of secrecy and trickery, and as we know, Perception is Reality…. https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale/2019/10/15/whos-behind-glendale-pac-pushing-council-pay-hikes/3976042002/?fbclid=IwAR00q1cguO_aPeelfUZBjMaIYnErbYotho6AkdUmQvM35R8Dzo09QS0I2qo
I will be voting no. Not because I don’t believe our City Council members don’t deserve a raise but purely because of the way this happened. Any time a last minute special meeting is called where all members cannot be present is 100% questionable to me. This process completely lacked transparency, moved too quickly and is too costly. This very easily could have waited until nexts years general election.
Another concern about the ‘process’ of seeking raises for the Council – A newly organized PAC named ‘Best of the West’. This PAC sent out flyers to over 122,000 registered voters, urging a ‘Yes’ vote. In early 2020 we may find out who funded this PAC. An AZ Republic article dated 10/15 by Jen Fifield writes that the PAC Chairperson of the PAC is Diane McCarthy who chaired the Council Compensation Committee. Also treasurer of the PAC is Vern Crow who was a member of that committee. Other PAC members are not named; however McCarthy says she gets information about PAC activities from CM Ian Hugh. Hugh says he is not involved. Interesting to read of the follow-on PAC venture by these former compensation committee members. My vote is No to the raises; the process has been questionable from the beginning.
Good points Jane…