Salary Commission: Officeholders need a thriving wage.
Chair Abby Engers on why she thinks city leaders deserve a raise.
Last week, Portland's Salary Commission revealed a proposal to boost salaries for all city officeholders by January 2025.
The announcement defied expectations that city commissioners would face a pay cut upon stepping down as heads of city bureaus.
Rose City Reform caught up with Abby Engers, chair of the commission, who says competitive salaries are the best way to attract community leaders to public service.
Abby Engers, chair of Portland’s Independent Salary Commission, is quick to point out that the plan to raise pay for all officeholders may surprise some Portlanders. Slated to take effect in 2025, the commission’s draft proposal suggests a 34% hike for the auditor, a 22% increase for the mayor, and a 13% jump for city council members.
Engers acknowledges that it may seem counterintuitive to boost pay for city councilors at a time when Portland’s century-old commission-based government is ending. In 2025, due to voter-approved reform, City Council will relinquish its authority over city bureaus and transition into a strictly legislative role.
But the question of whether future legislators deserve to be paid more than current city commissioners is a red herring, says Engers. The more important question, in her opinion, is whether salaries are competitive enough to recruit the leaders Portlanders want to see at City Hall.
“If we want to attract a broad range of voices and talent to public office, we need to provide a salary that can be the only wage you and your family rely on,” Engers told Rose City Reform.
Here’s more of what she had to say.
Q&A
What metrics did the Salary Commission use to set its salaries for public officials?
We relied on market data for similarly-sized and neighboring cities. We also looked at Portland’s cost of living. The proposal reflects a thriving wage for a single parent with one child. We also considered the current wages of public officials who haven’t received a cost of living adjustment since 2018.
What is the difference between a thriving wage and a living wage?
A living wage is the amount of money a person needs to cover basic needs like food and shelter. A thriving wage is the amount of money somebody needs to be able to save, travel, and invest in their families and their community. We selected a thriving wage because we believe that by centering the folks who experience the most financial barriers, you open up access to the most Portlanders.
Why should councilors make more money when they no longer manage city bureaus?
Their jobs are still important, and there’s an expectation that they will engage more deeply with the community. Portland is not a particularly low-cost place to live, and the charter does not allow city councilors to have a second job. If this is the only income they can receive, then it should represent a wage that attracts everybody and isn’t a barrier to entry for anybody.
In your opinion, are current salaries too low?
Yes. If we want to attract a broad range of voices and talent to public office, we need to provide a salary that can be the only wage you and your family rely on. If only independently wealthy Portlanders can become commissioners, then our salaries do not reflect what the charter is trying to accomplish.
The Salary Commission has spoken of an “anti-oppressive pay lens.” What does that mean?
When we say we're using an anti-oppressive pay lens, we’re moving away from an over-reliance on market data and instead considering what it would take for marginalized Portlanders, like single parents, to be able to run for office. One of our guiding principles is that pay should open up opportunities for historically marginalized communities and not be a deterrent to running for, or holding, public office.
Why should bilingual officeholders be paid more than those who only speak one language?
Bilingual commissioners will be able to engage with communities in a way that somebody from a monolingual or mono-cultural background won’t. If you’re bilingual in Spanish and representing a district with a large Latino community, you’d be compensated for that with a 4% step.
Are there other skills that qualify you for the 4% bump?
At this time, we're only considering language skills, based on the City’s existing language proficiency test.
The auditor would get the biggest pay boost (34%). Why?
The auditor is the only role that requires a professional background, like a CPA. The auditor’s office also has the largest staff and budget to manage. Although we tried not to rely too much on market data, we felt we had to increase the auditor’s salary to align with the market average and comparable roles within the City. The market average for a city auditor is $166,744.
Do you have any fiscal concerns about raising officeholder pay at a time when the council is expanding from five to twelve members?
Fiscal responsibility is a guiding value for us. Currently, the commissioners have relatively large offices. In the new system, we can expect some savings because commissioners will have shared services and fewer staff. Also, city commissioners haven’t received a cost of living adjustment since 2018. Our proposal is upping them to where they should have been. Overall, these salary increases are a small fraction of the city budget that would have an outsized influence because they allow more people to be involved in government.
What feedback do you want from Portlanders on your proposal?
I think our pay range is higher than some people expected, but it's really a reflection of us listening to the community. We want Portlanders to tell us if our proposed salaries are appropriate and reflect the values that we've been entrusted with: equity, access for historically marginalized communities, transparency, communication, community, and fiscal responsibility. If we can do that, we have met our responsibilities as set forth by the charter.
Here’s how you can provide feedback to the Salary Commission:
Tune into the community listening session on Tuesday, June 27, 2023
Attend one of several public hearings.
Call 3-1-1 during business hours to provide comments.
Email thoughts to transition@portlandoregon.gov.
Mail written comments to: Office of Management and Finance, Independent Salary Commission, 1120 SW 5th Ave., Room 1508, Portland, OR 97204
Happy summer, RCR readers!
Rose City Reform is taking a vacation. There will be no posts in July.
Enjoy the sunshine – and see you in August!