KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo City Commissioners have about a month to decide whether they plan to take the raise proposed by the Local Officers Compensation Committee Monday night.
If they do nothing in that 30 day period, the raise will take effect automatically.
The LOCC which only meets once every two years, weighs how much they are paid in comparison to other cities, whether they have accepted previous raises, the financial health of the community and whether or not they are doing a good job before recommending a hike.
This time they recommended a 5% increase. It would take a 2/3rds vote to reject it, and then only if a commissioner brings it up.
The rather byzantine process was created by the state legislature because the idea of politicians giving themselves a raise was such bad optics that they never did it. They wanted to but didn’t dare because of how it would look.
This way they can accept raises with out actually taking a vote. The last raise they took was two years ago.
Even with the raises, no one will ever get rich being on the City Commission.
The mayor will only make a little over $10,000 per year. The Vice Mayor will make $8,656 and commissioners nearly $76-hundred.
