Mayor Ted Wheeler | Mayor Ted Wheeler Official Photo
Mayor Ted Wheeler | Mayor Ted Wheeler Official Photo
PORTLAND-Ore. -- The Portland Salary Commission arrived at a proposal on the contents of a final salary recommendation for Portland’s elected officials and now seeks feedback from the public on their proposed recommendations.
"When we began, the assumption was that changes to Charter would result in lower salaries for most of the roles. However, after examining market data, changes to the cost-of-living, and receiving insightful testimony from impacted Portlanders, our recommendation is for a higher wage than I think many initially expected," said Commissioner Abby Engers. "The totality of the data gives us confidence in our recommendation that is in alignment with the City's values, while reflecting only a small fraction of the total budget."
SUMMARY OF THE DRAFT SALARY PROPOSAL
The Salary Commission has identified the following base pay rates for elected positions:
Mayor: $175,463.00
Auditor: $168,758.00
Council: $142,404.00
In addition, any elected official who chooses to qualify under the City of Portland’s Language Access Program would receive an additional 4% base pay rate. Base pay amounts were set from data that will soon become out-of-date and are therefore subject to any council-approved cost-of-living increases for non-represented employees beginning with the 2023/24 fiscal year.
To help the commission arrive at a final decision, the commission will hold a public listening session on Tuesday, June 27 to record public testimony on the draft proposal. The meeting will be hybrid and summarize the methodology for setting compensation and hear what Portlanders think about the salaries and methodology they are considering.
Since March, the commissioners studied compensation best practices and guiding principles and criteria to determine pay rates for Portland’s new elected officials who will begin their terms in 2025.
As part of their process, the Salary Commission established a set of guiding principles, below, and criteria, which are outlined in the draft proposal.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SETTING SALARIES
- Pay will open opportunities for historically marginalized communities and will not be a deterrent to running and holding office.
- Pay should be based on examining a range of data, be fiscally responsible, and consider the city's budget, the public, and the elected officials.
- Pay should reflect the City of Portland's values around anti-racism, equity, transparency, communication, collaboration, and fiscal responsibility.
When considering the new pay ranges, the commission paid close attention to the City’s core values, particularly equity, and considered the barriers when running for office. With these proposed salaries, the Salary Commission aims to make running for office a possibility for more Portlanders, such as parents, caregivers, people with low income, and people who have been historically underrepresented.
“We know with the rising cost-of-living that we need a thriving wage for those with the most barriers to be able to serve, not just those with wealth and financial privilege,“ said Andres Oswill, community advocate and campaign manager for Opportunity to Serve Oregon Coalition. “We need a salary that allow folks with various lived experiences to serve in office and make city council their full-time job.”
| Living versus thriving wages based on cost-of-living in Portland for a single parent household | ||||
| 1 Adult (Single Parent) Working | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
| Living Wage (hourly) | $21.85 | $40.94 | $51.75 | $69.64 |
| Living Wage (annual) | $45,458.00 | $85,154.00 | $107,639.00 | $144,854.00 |
| Thriving Wage (hourly) | $36.36 | $68.46 | $88.04 | $120.68 |
| Thriving Wage (annual) | $75,620.00 | $142,404.00 | $183,132.00 | $251,004.00 |
| Living versus thriving wages based on cost-of-living in Portland for a two parent household | ||||
| 2 Adults with 1 Parent Working | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
| Living Wage (hourly) | $32.56 | $39.70 | $44.93 | $52.45 |
| Living Wage (annual) | $67,717 | $82,583 | $93,458 | $109,088 |
| Thriving Wage (hourly) | $51.70 | $63.95 | $71.26 | $86.84 |
| Thriving Wage (annual) | $107,526 | $133,018 | $148,214 | $180,628 |
| Living versus thriving wages based on cost-of-living in Portland for a two parent household | ||||
| 2 Adults (Both Working) | 0 Children | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children |
| Living Wage (hourly) | $32.56 | $45.34 | $56.18 | $69.78 |
| Living Wage (annual) | $67,717.00 | $94,290.00 | $116,872.00 | $145,142.00 |
| Thriving Wage (hourly) | $51.70 | $75.21 | $93.77 | $121.51 |
| Thriving Wage (annual) | $107,526.00 | $156,434.00 | $195,042.00 | $252,736.00 |
BACKGROUND
Portland is shifting to a mayor-council form of government and expanding the City Council to 12 members. The new government will open its doors January 1, 2025.
The Salary Commission is responsible for setting the salaries for the 14 elected officials at the City, including the 12 council members, auditor and mayor.
The Portland Bureau of Human Resources will lead the work of a Salary Commission every two years to set and evaluate the salaries for all elected positions.
While the charter only requires an affirmative vote of three commissioners, the commission has adopted a full consensus model to reach agreement and the proposal must be adopted by Aug. 1, 2023. The Salary Commission developed a work plan that includes:
- Conduct 11 meetings between March and August, with public comment opportunities.
- Enroll public comment and share a survey in mid-June to ask Portlanders for their opinion on the draft salary proposals.
- Make recommendations for the methodology of setting salaries to the Bureau of Human Resources for future Salary Commissions to consider.
- Read the draft Salary Proposal.
- Participate in a listening session or take the survey to offer feedback.
- Learn more about the salary commissioners.
- Visit portland.gov/transition/salarycommission to follow the Salary Commission’s work.
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