BEND, OR -- Bend City Councilors could get a pay raise, but they’ll have to get re-elected to see the increase. "Every five years, an independent committee is charged with meeting and reviewing their compensation," says City Manager Eric King says, "For the Councilors, they’re making about $9,000 a year. It would move up to $30,000 a year. For the Mayor, it would move up from about $19-20,000 to $50,000 a year." He tells KBND News, "That recommendation was based on a lot of data from other similar-sized cities here in Oregon. So, that adjustment puts us more in the middle of the pack, compared to other similar-sized cities in Oregon, as well as in Washington. They looked in that state, as well."

Sitting Councilors get the final say. "It’ll go formally for a vote at the next Council meeting. But it doesn’t take effect. Council cannot vote in their own pay raises, so there has to be an intervening election," says King. "If Council approves this, it can’t be until the next election cycle that somebody would be eligible to receive it."

He says some positions would see the increase in January, following the November election, "It would be those seats - there’s four seats that are up in 2024 and so, whoever gets elected into those seats would be eligible for the new compensation." Seats not up for a vote this year, including the Mayor, would continue to earn the lower amount until after the 2026 election.