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Eureka’s city council and mayor haven’t had a pay raise since 1988. The cost of just about everything has nearly tripled in the last 38 years, but the council’s monthly stipends have remained at a static $500. (The mayor brings in a little more dough at $625 per month.)

At a special meeting next week, staff will present proposed changes to the city’s charter that, if approved by voters, would give our elected officials a nice little pay bump, though the exact amount has yet to be determined.

“We’re not looking to make this a living wage job,” Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery told the Outpost. “This came up during strategic visioning, and the council included this as one of their goals for effective governance. … It’s been nearly 40 years, and with all the changes that have happened in our economy, we think it’s time for an update.”

The American Institute for Economic Research’s Cost of Living Calculator estimates that $500 in 1988 is equal to roughly $1,370 in today’s money, which represents a 174% increase in inflation.

Rather than a set monthly stipend, staff is looking to amend the charter to give the council periodic raises to keep up with inflation, similar to the City of Arcata. But because Eureka is a charter city, any proposed changes to the charter must be put to a vote of the people. 

The council will consider a few other small amendments to the city charter, mostly relating to “archaic language” and references to the Brown Act.

“It’s just a lot of procedural things,” Slattery said. “For instance, [the charter states] that ‘a special municipal election shall be had for not less than 88 days’ … but it doesn’t have a maximum. Things like that.”

If the council decides to move ahead with the changes, staff will draft a ballot measure that will be brought back to the council for review. If approved, the item would appear on the November 2026 ballot.

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The Eureka City Council will meet for its special meeting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7. The regular meeting will take place at 6 p.m. That agenda can be found here.