Dallas voters may get to decide if city council members and the mayor get a large pay increase. First, the council must approve recommendations sent by a commission looking to overhaul city government.
The City of Dallas Charter Review Commission made a list of recommendations including the pay increase but also implementing ranked choice voters, creating an office of inspector general appointed by the city council, reducing the number of signatures needed for a referendum and others.
One of the proposals will raise the mayor’s salary from $80,000 to $145,000 and city council salaries from $60,000 to $125,000 a year. The city council will take up the issue in May for voters to give it an up or down vote in November. The salaries would go up with inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index.
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“My goal was to make it so anyone, regardless of economic status, can serve their community as a councilperson,” wrote charter review commissioner Stuart Campbell, who sponsored the salary proposal.
Stuart argues the $60,000 current salary requires the councilperson to be independently wealthy or to rely on the family’s income to serve. He believes increasing the pay will make the council more diverse.
“The folks in the downtown skyscrapers have different interests than those living paycheck to paycheck. Being poor shouldn’t bar a person from serving on council, but our current salary structure incentivizes mostly rich folks to run for office,” wrote Campbell.
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Similar ideas usually face tough roads. Political blowback can come quickly after elected officials vote to increase their own pay. I approved this proposal would begin in June 2025.
Fort Worth voters rejected a similar idea two years ago.
At a December meeting, commissioners noted inflation was a key reason for the change.
Are the council and the mayor currently under-compensated? They currently are relative to the amount they were in 2016,” said Commissioner Michael Jung.
Supporters argue it may also limit corruption because councilmembers won’t be looking for side hustles. The council salary will be more than enough for a full-time job.
In the past, commissioner Isaac Steen said, “They were easily corrupted because they weren’t making enough money.”
According to newspaper reports on other cities, the proposal would put Dallas in the middle of the pack compared to its sister cities.
San Antonio city council members make $45,722 and the mayor makes $61,725. They are also looking at raising the salaries this year.
San Diego, California city council members make $173,000 and its mayor makes $231,000.
Austin city councilmembers make $116,688 a year and the mayor makes $134,191 after the council voted to increase their pay last year.
In Jacksonville, Florida, the city council makes between %52,000 and $75,000. The mayor there makes $230,016 a year.
Opponents are already gearing up to fight the effort at the ballot box.
“I think this is just a shameful indication of a lack of true focused priorities. You’re supposed to be serving the people, not yourself,” said Allen West, the incoming chair of the Dallas County GOP.
West notes the Dallas Police Department is requesting many more police officers stemming of a staffing shortage. He argues funding a salary increase is a misuse of resources.
“They’re the best and they’re the brightest this country can offer and they’re not getting paid anywhere near these wages that these very comfortable city officials are asking for,” said West.
Voters will have to approve any final change in the November election.
