Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 2015-005 Citizens Salary Commission 1-20-15 ORDINANCE NO. 2015-005 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON CREATING A NEW CHAPTER 2.89 OF THE ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO A CITIZEN SALARY REVIEW COMMISSION WHEREAS, the City of Arlington, Washington, wishes to ensure the salaries it pays to elected officials is appropriate; and WHEREAS, state law authorizes the creation of a citizens salary review commission; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to create a commission to periodically review the salaries of City elected officials; NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Arlington, Washington, does ordain as follows: Section 1. New Chapter Adopted. The Arlington Municipal Code is hereby amended to add a new Chapter 2.89, as follows: Chapter 2.89 CITIZEN SALARY REVIEW COMMISSION Sections: 2.89.010 Purpose. 2.89.020 Duties, 2.89.030 Eligibility. 2.89.040 Appointment. 2.89,050 Operation. 2.89.060 Salary schedule recommendation. 2.89.070 Open meetings. 2.89.010 Purpose. It is the policy of the city of Arlington to base salaries and per diem reimbursement of elected officials on realistic standards so that elected officials of the city may be paid according to the duties of their offices, and so that citizens of the highest quality may be attracted to public service. To effectuate this policy, the Arlington citizens' commission on salaries of elected officials ("citizens' commission") is hereby created consisting of five members with duties and responsibilities as set forth below. ORDINANCE NO. 2015-005 1 2.89.020 Duties. The citizens' commission shall study the relationship of salaries and per diem reimbursement for each elected position. Except as provided otherwise below, the citizens' commission shall be solely responsible for its own organization, operation, and action and shall enjoy the fullest cooperation of all elected officials, departments and agencies of the city of Arlington. 2.89.030 Eligibility. The citizens' commission shall consist of five members, all of whom must be at least 21 years of age, registered to vote, and maintain personal residence within the boundaries of the city of Arlington. No city of Arlington official, or public employee, or any immediate family member of any official or employee shall be eligible for membership on the citizens' commission. As used in this section, the phrase "immediate family" means parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relatives of the official or employee, whether or not they are living in the same household. 2.89.040 Appointment. Five initial members of the citizens' commission shall be appointed by the Mayor with the consent of the City Council. Citizens shall be invited to apply for positions on the citizens' commission and the Mayor shall appoint a committee of the Council who shall conduct interviews in the same manner as appointments for all city positions and make recommendations to the Council as a whole, who shall make final recommendations regarding appointments to the Mayor, who shall make the final appointment subject to the consent of the Council as required by RCW 35.21.015 . The members of the commission shall serve three-year terms beginning on May 1 and ending on April 30, except that the initial five members shall be appointed for different terms as follows: (a) one member for a period of approximately three years and three months to end on April 30, 2018; (b) two members for a period of approximately two years and three months to end on April 30, 2017 ; and (c) two of members to serve for periods of approximately one year and three months to end on April 30, 2016. No person may serve more than two consecutive terms. Members of the commission may be removed by the mayor, with the approval of the council, only for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or for a disqualifying change of eligibility. The unexcused absence of any member of the commission from two consecutive meetings of the commission shall constitute relinquishment of that person's membership on the commission. Such relinquishment creates a vacancy in that person's position on the commission. Upon a vacancy in any position on the commission, a successor shall be selected and appointed to fill the unexpired term. The selection and appointment shall be concluded within sixty (60) days of the date that position becomes vacant and shall be conducted in the same manner as originally provided for that person's appointment. 2.89.050 Operation. The members of the commission shall elect a chair from among their number. The commission shall prepare a recommended schedule of salaries by an affirmative vote of not less than three members of the commission. Members of the commission shall receive no compensation for their services. ORDINANCE NO. 2015-005 2 2.89.060 Salary schedule recommendation. The commission shall file its schedules of recommended salaries and per diem reimbursement for elected officials of the city with the city clerk no later than the first Monday in May of each odd-numbered year. The schedule may include the effective date for any changes in salaries and per diem reimbursement, provided that said changes shall not apply retroactively, and further provided that any recommended salary decreases shall only become effective at the commencement of subsequent terms of office as required by RCW 35.21.015(5). The signature of the chair of the commission shall be affixed to each schedule submitted to the city clerk. The chair shall certify that the schedule has been adopted in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and with the rules, if any, of the commission. Such schedules shall become effective and incorporated into the City budget without further action of the City Council in accordance with state law. 2.89.070 Open meetings. All meetings, actions, hearings, and business of the commission shall be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act as set forth in Chapter 42.30 RCW. Prior to the filing of any salary schedule, the commission shall hold no fewer than one regularly advertised public hearing thereon within the two months immediately preceding the filing of its recommendation. Section 2. Severability. Should any section, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance, or its application to any person or circumstance, be declared unconstitutional or otherwise invalid for any reason, or should any portion of this Ordinance be pre-empted by state or federal law or regulation, such decision or pre- emption shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance or its application to other persons or circumstances. Section 3. Effective Date. T-he-title-ofthis-ordinance-which-summarizes-the contents shall be published in the official newspaper of the City. The ordinance shall take effect and be in full force five (5) days after the date of publication. PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL at a Regular Meeting thereof on thdsO� day of LY1 u_a r , 2015. CITY OF ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON Bar ara Tolbert, Mayor ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED: ORDINANCE NO. 2015-005 3 Kristin'*Banfield, City Cle k APPROVED AS TO FORM: Steven h&fomey ORDINANCE NO. 2015-005 4