San Antonio to vote on pay increases for City Council members in November

SAN ANTONIO — After months of meetings by the Charter Review Commission and some last-minute adjustments Thursday, San Antonio City Council voted to green-light proposals that would increase salaries for its members and the mayor, among other possible changes. 

The initiatives now go before their constituents. San Antonio residents will vote in November whether the suggested charter amendment will go into effect or not. City Council OK’d the pay increase proposition 8-3, with representatives Melissa Cabello Havrda of District 6, Manny Pelaez of District 8 and Marc Whyte of District 10 voting against pay increases. 

The salary changes, if approved by voters, would go into effect for City Council members elected next May. 

“My position on charter pay is documented,” said Pelaez, who has previously called the effort “tone-deaf” while many in the city continue to struggle financially. “I don’t think it should be on this ballot.” 

The salary question will be presented to voters on the ballot as Proposition E. They’ll also be asked to weigh in on five other possible charter changes, including Proposition C, which gives City Council the power to set the city manager’s pay and tenure. 

Members of City Council currently make $45,000 and the mayor makes $58,000, salaries which have remain unchanged since 2015. If voters approve the raises – which will be presented on the ballot as Proposition E – the 10 City Council members would make $70,200 a year while the mayor, who is also a voting member of the body, would make $87,800. 

Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who will depart the term-limited seat next summer, chalked the charter amendment up to allowing more people to consider running for council. 

“I will tell you that the cost of not doing this is the fact that people who we want to see who are not career politicians – who are average neighbors with perspectives that are important to represent the community – in some cases will never be able to serve,” he said. 

The Charter Review Commission based the salary increases on the national average of income for a four-person household, as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Current income levels are set at 2014’s median income level, according to Nirenberg. 

If Proposition E passes, City Council members and the mayor will have the option to reject part or all of their salary. It would also cost taxpayers more, to the tune of an additional $270,000. 

Election day is Nov. 5. 

Proposition E impacting City Council pay, while perhaps the most high-interest question approved by council on Thursday, is just one of six voters will weigh in on this November. So what would the others change, if passed?

Proposition A affects ethics, and would amend the charter to add a definition for “conflict of interest. It would also allows the Ethics Review Board the power to either accept or pass over ethics complaints against council members that have already been “resolved by an entity” other than the board. 

Proposition B would tweak the city charter’s language to “account for outdated and superseded provisions.” 

Proposition C allows City Council to set the pay and employment timeline for the city manager position. Currently, city managers like Erik Walsh can serve no more than eight years; a Charter Review Commission subcommittee voted to remove that cap. 

Proposition D would allow San Antonio city employees to “participate in local political activity” so long as they’re not violating state or federal law. It also protects those employees “against political retribution.” 

Finally, Proposition F tweaks term durations for both City Council and the mayor. Those positions currently serve two-year terms, and no more than four. If passed, they would instead serve four-year terms and can serve no more than two. The change keeps the maximum tenure of eight years intact, but lengthens individual terms. 

This is a developing story. Check back with KENS5.com for updates.