HB1108: City council salaries; removes the statutory salary caps for members.
HOUSE BILL NO. 1108
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 15.2-1414.5 and 15.2-1414.6 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 15.2-1414.5. Each councilman to be paid annual salary.
Each member of the council of each city shall be allowed and
paid out of the city levy an annual salary in equal monthly installments, or in
accordance with the payroll cycle of city employees, to be fixed as herein
provided, for his services in attending the meetings of the council and in
discharging the duties imposed by law upon him. Any city,
however, whose charter imposes no limitation on salaries, may continue to pay
its councilmen and mayor pursuant to such charter.
§ 15.2-1414.6. Permitted salaries; salary increases; reimbursement for expenses.
Subject to the exception
provided for in § 15.2-1414.5, the The annual
salary of each member of the council of any city shall be set by its members by
ordinance notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, general or special.
The setting of such salaries by members of council shall include the salary of the
mayor or president of the council whether such official is a member of council
or not.
Cities within the following
population brackets shall be allowed to set salaries for mayors, which include
presidents of council, and council members not to exceed the following:
Population
Annual Salary
260,000 and over
Mayor
$30,000
Council
28,000
175,000 to 259,999
Mayor
27,000
Council
25,000
75,000 to 174,999
Mayor
25,000
Council
23,000
35,000 to 74,999
Mayor
20,000
Council
18,000
20,000 to 34,999
Mayor
13,000
Council
12,000
15,000 to 19,999
Mayor
12,000
Council
11,500
14,999 and under
Mayor
11,500
Council
11,000
No increase in the salary of a member of council shall take effect until July 1 after the next regularly scheduled general election of council members.
Every proposed increase in the salary of a member of council shall be adopted at least four months prior to the date of the next municipal election except in the case of a newly created consolidated city when the proposed increase shall be adopted at least two months prior to the date of its first municipal election.
Any member of council shall be eligible to be reimbursed for any personal expenses incurred by him for official business. However, all claims for reimbursement shall be for reasonable expenses to the extent permitted by law incurred in the conduct of official city business and shall be itemized and documented by stamped paid receipts to the extent feasible.
In addition to salary, each member of the council of any city may be compensated with such benefits as are provided city employees by the city.