“I worry that if you have a large amount of compensation someone might not be doing it for the right reasons, potentially,” council member Amanda Young said at the March 27 meeting.
How we got here
The last time Liberty Hill City Council reviewed and approved council compensation was in December 2020, according to city documents.
Per the December 2020 city ordinance, council members elected during or after the May 2 general election received a compensation of $12,000 per year, while mayors elected on or after that date earned $40,000 per year.
City staff recommended council review compensation again ahead of the May 4 election. Council discussed the mayor’s salary during its March 27 meeting.
A majority of the council members agreed the mayor may be tasked with more duties; however, council members have similar responsibilities. Because of this, council reduced the mayor’s salary to be more consistent with the annual stipend for council members.
“I know that the mayor has more responsibility from a time standpoint as a council member because they’re sort of the figurehead of the city and they need to show up,” council member Angela Jones said. “But $40,000 is way too high, in my opinion.”
Going forward
Liberty Hill council members will continue to receive a yearly stipend of $12,000, while the mayor receives $18,000.
