Fairfield City Council votes to raise pay for future councils

It’s been 13 years since Fairfield City Council and the mayor received a pay raise.

On Monday, the city’s governing body voted that future members of the board will receive more compensation pay.

The mayor and City Council’s annual pay will increase from $9,600 a year to $12,000, which will take effect for new terms commencing on and after Jan. 1, 2024. The introduced the legislation at the end of February and held three public readings of the proposal before voting on the measure.

“This is important that nobody on this current council will benefit from any of the increase at all,” said Fairfield City Councilmember Tim Meyers, who introduced the legislation six weeks ago.

Meyers said he calculated that the pay increase equals about $5 an hour, “so it’s a pretty good value.”

The councilman said the city looked at six other similar cities to Fairfield and said the new rate “is pretty comparable.”

City Council last approved a compensation increase on Oct. 27, 2008, which was effective on Jan. 1, 2010.

Though City Council cannot vote itself a pay raise, current members could potentially benefit from the decision.

Mayor Mitch Rhodus and Council members Gwen Brill, Matt Davidson, Tim Meyers were elected in November 2021 and are up for re-election in 2025. Council members Dale Paullus, Leslie Besl, and Adam Kraft all have pulled petitions to run for election this fall and, if successful, would start new terms on Jan. 1, 2024. Councilman Terry Senger said in November he would not seek re-election.

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