The Folsom City Council members, from left, Mayor Justin Raithel, Barbara Leary, Sarah Aquino, Anna Rohrbough and Mike Kozlowski are seen in an undated photo. The council will consider hiking pay for themselves and the city manager at a City Council meeting on Tuesday.
City of Folsom
Folsom City Council members will consider giving the city manager a raise Tuesday, and also tripling their own salaries.
Currently, council members earn $7,200 a year, according to the city staff report. If they approve the raise, they would earn $22,800 a year — a 217% increase.
City Manager Bryan Whitemyer would receive a raise bringing his annual salary to $332,072 from $319,296 — a roughly 4% increase after about 14 months in the role.
City staff recommended the council raises partly due to a state law that went into effect in 2024, the city staff report said. Previously, council members could only get 5% raises annually.
“Increasingly, larger municipalities throughout California are recognizing the significant time commitment required of local elected officials and are establishing compensation structures that more closely reflect the responsibilities and workload associated with a part-time public service role,” the staff report said.
The law, Senate Bill 329 signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023, increased the maximum allowable salaries for council members based on city population and allows additional annual increases tied to inflation, capped at 10%.
Folsom has a population of about 92,000, allowing council members to earn up to $22,800 annually under the new law, the staff report said.
State law also requires the council to consider any pay increase in open session across at least two meetings before final approval.
If the council approves the raises, the higher salaries would go into effect when the winners of the Nov. 3 election start their terms.
The raises would put Folsom in the middle of the six other cities where staff analyzed council salaries, the report said.
Sacramento City Council members, who are considered full time, earn $111,324 a year, the staff report said. Elk Grove council members earn $30,600 a year; Citrus Heights council members earn $22,800 a year; and Rocklin council members earn $8,220 a year.
Roseville City Council members currently earn $7,200 a year, but a measure on the November ballot would bring their salaries up to $30,600 a year, the staff report said.
Maraskeshia Smith, appointed as Sacramento city manager in September, earns a $399,000 base salary.
Folsom’s council will have the option to grant final approval of the raises for themselves as well as for Whitemyer during Tuesday’s meeting, said Christine Brainerd, a city spokesperson.
“The city is following its standard practices and established process for setting council and city manager compensation, which does not require a ballot measure,” she said.
The council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Folsom City Hall, 50 Natoma St. It will also be livestreamed.
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