The El Cajon City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted down a proposal to give itself a pay raise, citing recent budget cuts and ongoing economic pressures.
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Proposed by staff, the cost-of-living increase would have raised salaries for council members and the mayor by 5 percent, beginning in 2027. The adjustment would have increased the monthly salary for the mayor from $3,380 to $3,549 and for council member from $2,336 to $2,453.
“Given that we have had to tighten our belts in the city and that we’ve had to make cuts to departments … I would not vote for an increase,” Councilmember Michelle Metschel said. “The optics on it, I think, would be bad.”
In total, the pay raise would have an annual cost to the city of $7,644, plus associated pension costs, according to a staff report.
But officials unanimously agreed the raise could wait, noting the city’s tight financial situation that led to across-the-board budget cuts for the current fiscal year.
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While Mayor Bill Wells agreed a raise was unnecessary given the city’s constrained budget, he noted that putting off cost-of-living pay increases would eventually come at a cost to the city.
Their decision follows a modest pay increase approved by leaders in early 2024. Still, El Cajon offers the highest council compensation of the East County cities.
La Mesa City Council members are paid $1,900 per month, while the mayor makes $3,800 monthly. Santee City Council members are paid $1,983 a month, with the mayor bringing in about $3,343 per month. Lemon Grove recently approved a salary increase, but leaders are compensated significantly less than those in surrounding cities; council members are paid $950 per month while the mayor earns $1,662.
“I’ll make do, and I ask my colleagues to also make do as a show of faith to our communities who are struggling right now,” Metschel said.
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