Request to Initiate Process for Mayor and City Council Salary CompensationCity of Dubuque
City Council
ACTION ITEMS # 4.
Copyrighted
March 17, 2025
ITEM TITLE: Request to Initiate Process for Mayor and City Council Salary
Compensation
SUMMARY: City Clerk submitting information for initiating the process of
reviewing Mayor and City Council compensation for potential
changes effective in 2026.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Council
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2025 Initiate Council Compensation Process Memo
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Dubuque
THE CF
City Clerk's Office
City Hall
111-AmeriCaC
DUjB E
50 W. 131h Street
4845
Dubuque, 41 0 office
(563) 589-4120 office
111
1�r
(563) 589-0890 fax
ctyclerk@cityofdubuque.org
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2107.21112.M11
-2WI
www.cityofdubuque.org
TO: Mayor Brad M. Cavanagh and Members of the City Council
FROM: Adrienne Breitfelder, City Clerk
SUBJECT: Request to Initiate Process for Mayor and City Council Salary
Compensation
DATE: March 7, 2025
Pursuant to Iowa Code §372.13(8):
By ordinance, the council shall prescribe the compensation of the mayor, council
members, and other elected city officers, but a change in the compensation of the mayor
does not become effective during the term in which the change is adopted, and the council
shall not adopt an ordinance changing the compensation of the mayor, council members,
or other elected officers during the months of November and December in the year of a
regular city election. A change in the compensation of council members becomes
effective for all council members at the beginning of the term of the council members
elected at the election next following the change in compensation.
During the 2004 City Council Goal Setting, the Mayor and City Council decided to
establish a Salary Compensation Task Force to recommend changes to the Mayor and
City Council salaries. The Task Force has been made up of seven resident
representatives, one chosen by the Mayor and each Council Member. Since 2005, the
Task Force has convened every four years, most recently convening in 2021. Their
recommendation, which was adopted by the Mayor and City Council, established the
Mayor's salary as $14,800 and the City Council's salary as $11,100, effective January 1,
2022. The Mayor and City Council's compensation is codified in City Code and can only
be amended through an ordinance. Historically, the Mayor and City Council have only
considered changes to their compensation in years when a majority of their terms expire.
With the Mayor's term and the terms of three Council Members ending on December 31,
2025, this would be the appropriate year for the Task Force to convene if the Mayor and
City Council wish to continue this precedent.
The Task Force is provided with salary compensation history and comparative information
from other Iowa cities. They also are provided information about City Council meetings,
events, and boards and committee assignments. Additional information may be provided
to the Task Force as requested. The Task Force meets to discuss the information and
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reach a consensus on a recommendation, which is then presented to the Mayor and City
Council for consideration.
If the Mayor and City Council approve initiating the Compensation Task Force, I request
the name of their representative be provided to me by April 7. The representative must
be available for a meeting in the late afternoon or early evening and is expected to review
information in advance of the meeting. While the Task Force has typically reached
consensus in a single meeting, additional meetings may be required if consensus is not
achieved during the meeting. The total time commitment is estimated to be 4 hours. Once
the Task Force determines a recommendation, I will place it on a future City Council
agenda for consideration. If a change in compensation is approved by the Mayor and City
Council, an ordinance amendment will be submitted for adoption.
cc: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Jenny Larson, Chief Financial Officer
Shelley Stickfort, Chief Human Resources Officer
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