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Posted: December 27, 2024
Rapid City
Agenda Item Summary

Agenda Item Ref. #: LF123124-10

Agenda Item Title:

Consideration to Direct City Attorney to Prepare a Resolution Adjusting Elected Officials’ Salaries

Origination Group:
Legal & Finance Committee
Origination Meeting Date:
12/31/2024
City Council Hearing Date:
01/06/2025
Petitioner:
Finance Office
Staff Contact:
Daniel Ainslie
Location:
Council Chambers
Agenda Item Summary:
I have been approached by Council members regarding the salaries of Mayors within comparable cities across the region. While obtaining the relevant data, I sought the compensation of Council members as well. I was able to obtain compensation information from nine of the eleven communities surveyed by the City’s outside compensation analyst. Six of the nine communities employ either a City Administrator or a City Manager. As such, the role of the Mayor is entirely different than that of Rapid City. Of the remaining three communities, Cheyenne and Lincoln are significant outliers. The most directly comparable community is Sioux Falls. The 2024 compensation of the Mayor of Sioux Falls is $154,856 and a Council member is $23,228. This compares to Rapid City’s 2024 compensation of $124,849 for Mayor and $13,037 for Council. Similar to employees, it is important to ensure that elected officials are justly compensated. The lack of competitive compensation often discourages residents from stepping forward for this vital civic function. This can lead to a skewed composition of elected officials that may not fully represent their electorate. Given the information obtained, it is recommended that the Committee direct the City Attorney to prepare a resolution establishing the compensation of the Mayor at $145,000 and $20,000 for Councilmembers as of July 1, 2025. This would become effective following the 2025 election. This compensation should adjust annually based upon the Western States Urban CPI to ensure that the compensation retains its competitiveness.

Funding Source & Fiscal Impact (if applicable):

Funding Cost Center

Recommendations:

Origination Recommendation Action:
Approve
Origination Recommendation Notes:
Direct the City Attorney to prepare a Resolution for consideration establishing the salaries for Elected Officials beginning July 1, 2025.

Attachments & Links to Download:

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