How much is a Salida Council Member worth? It depends whom you ask. Presently, the salary of each is $150/month. That’s little compensation for those who, in addition to attending regular meetings, review hundreds of documents, participate on numerous boards and committees, research each topic, and communicate with their Wards.
As a result, council has been dominated by retirees. It has been recognized by all six council members that increasing pay is needed to attract younger, more energetic, and forward looking candidates. Those candidates tend to be employed or small business owners for whom it would cost money as well as time to serve.
But faced with recent challenges to incumbents from just such younger candidates, a bare majority on council responded on cue from their designated citizen participant at the 8/1 Council meeting to simultaneously experience a “change of heart”, and voted down the pay raise.