MEMORANDUM


TO: City Council

FROM: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

SUBJECT: Mayoral Compensation

DATE: February 1, 2007


In June of 2006, the City Council was unable to reach a consensus regarding revising the pay for the Mayor. Council has asked for this matter to be brought back, knowing full well that any revisions in compensation are not effective until after the election in November 2007. The attached Charter Amendment Resolution was drafted based on the Council discussion last year.


Attachment


CHARTER AMENDMENT RESOLUTION
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BOWIE, MARYLAND
AMENDING SECTION 16, “SALARY” OF THE CITY CHARTER
TO INCREASE BASE COMPENSATION FOR THE MAYOR.

WHEREAS, Section 16, “Salary”, of the Bowie City Charter currently provides for a base rate of compensation for the Mayor of Thirteen Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($13,200.00) established in the base year 1999, and adjusted for certain inflation-related adjustments thereafter, which adjustments have brought annual compensation for the Mayor to its current rate of $15,249.00, effective July 1, 2006; and

WHEREAS, the City Council deems it to be in the best interest of the City to amend the City Charter to reestablish the rate of compensation for the Mayor, effective November 12, 2007, in an amount equal to Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) more than the compensation of City Council members; and

WHEREAS, the City Council deems it to be in the best interest of the City to maintain a fixed differential between the compensation between the individual Council members and the Mayor in recognition of the Mayor’s additional duties and responsibilities.

Section 1: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Bowie, Maryland, that Sec. 16 of the Charter of the City of Bowie is amended as follows:

Sec. 16. Salary.

The Mayor’s salary at the time of adoption of this Charter amendment is [thirteen] FIFTEEN thousand two hundred FORTY NINE dollars [($13,200)] ($15,249.00). The Mayor’s salary specified in this Charter shall not be increased during the term [for which he or she was] THE MAYOR IS elected, except as provided herein.
A. PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 12, 2007, T[T]he Mayor’s salary shall be increased each year based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) published by the U.S. Department of Labor. The CPI for January of each year shall be compared to the CPI for January, 1999 (the base year), and the relative percentage increase (if any) shall be calculated. The salary increment shall be 75% of the relative percentage increase (if any). No decrease in the prior year's salary shall be allowed hereby, so if there is no CPI increase, the prior year's salary shall continue in effect

THIS PROVISION SHALL EXPIRE ON NOVEMBER 12, 2007.

B. COMMENCING NOVEMBER 12, 2007, THE MAYOR’S SALARY SHALL BE ESTABLISHED AND SUBSEQUENTLY ADJUSTED EACH FISCAL YEAR TO REFLECT AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS ($6,000.00) MORE THAN THE COMPENSATION OF INDIVIDUAL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
Section 2: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVE
D that this Charter Amendment Resolution is adopted this ____ day of ___________, 2007, and that the amendment to the Charter of the City of Bowie, hereby proposed by this enactment, shall be and become effective fifty (50) days after its passage by the City unless petitioned to referendum in accordance with Article 23A, § 13, of the Annotated Code of Maryland within 40 days following its passage. A complete and exact copy of this Resolution shall be posted in the City Hall building for forty (40) days following its passage by the City and a fair summary of the Charter Amendment shall be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the City not less than four (4) times at weekly intervals, also within the forty (40) days following it passage by City.

Section 3: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as soon as the Charter Amendment Resolution hereby enacted becomes effective, either as herein provided or following referendum, the Bowie City Manager shall send to the Department of Legislative Services, the following information concerning the Charter Amendment Resolution: (i) the complete text of this Resolution; (ii) the date of referendum election, if any, held with respect thereto; (iii) the number of votes cast for and against this Resolution by the Council of the City of Bowie or in a referendum; and (iv) the effective date of the Charter Amendment.

Section 4: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Manager of the City of Bowie, Maryland be, and hereby is specifically directed and instructed to carry out the provisions of Sections 3 and 4 as evidence of compliance herewith; and said City Manager shall cause to be affixed to the minutes of this meeting an appropriate Certificate of Publication of the newspaper in which the fair summary of the Charter Amendment shall have been published, and shall further cause to be completed and executed the Certificate of Effect.

INTRODUCED by the Council of the City of Bowie, Maryland on the ____ day of __________, 2007.

PASSED by the Council of the City of Bowie, Maryland on the ___ day of __________, 2007.

WITNESS: THE CITY OF BOWIE, MARYLAND

__________________________
Pamela A. Fleming
City Clerk

______________________________
G. Frederick Robinson, Mayor

APPROVED AS TO FORM
AND SUFFICIENCY:

______________________________
Robert H. Levan, City Attorney