Proposed resolution would nearly triple current compensationTonight, the Oro Valley Town Council will consider increasing the annual compensation it receives for serving on Council. The mayor currently receives $12,740 annually, while each of the six councilmembers receives $10,058. These amounts have remained unchanged since fiscal year 2012-13. The Town officially refers to these payments as salaries, although they compensate elected officials for part-time public service.
Council stipend has remained unchanged for 14 years because no COLAs were granted
The Town established Council salaries in 1999 and subsequently approved several cost-of-living adjustments. The last occurred in fiscal year 2012-13. Resolution (R)06-30, adopted in 2006, authorized future Council COLAs to match those approved for Town employees. Town Clerk Mike Standish confirmed to LOVE that the resolution remains in effect. He also clarified that while Town employees have received merit increases since FY2012-13, they have received no COLAs. As a result, Council compensation has remained unchanged.
The proposed compensation matches that adopted by Marana in 2025. That proposal would increase the mayor's annual stipend to $37,000, a 190% increase, and each councilmember's stipend to $31,000, a 208% increase. Both amounts would approximately triple current compensation. The impact would add $150,000 to this year's expenses.
But there are comparable towns where mayor and council stipends are far less
At one time, Marana and Oro Valley were comparable communities. However, Oro Valley and Marana are very different communities. Marana is rapidly growing, while Oro Valley is largely developed. Using Marana's compensation levels to establish Oro Valley Council stipends makes little sense without further justification, especially when other established Arizona communities, more comparable to Oro Valley, pay considerably less, as shown in the panel at right.
A reasonable alternative: Increase stipend using 43% cost of living increase since 2013
In 2006, the Town Council adopted Resolution (R)06-30, providing that future cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for the mayor and councilmembers would match those approved for Town employees. Town Clerk Mike Standish confirmed that the resolution remains in effect. However, no COLAs have been granted to Town employees since fiscal year 2012-13, although merit increases have been awarded. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index has risen approximately 43% from June 2013 through June 2026. The alternative is to adjust Council stipends to reflect that inflatoin. The mayor's annual stipend would increase to approximately $18,220 and councilmembers' to $14,385. The total additional annual cost to the Town would be approximately $31,400, compared with nearly $150,000 under the proposed increases.
Another option: Conduct comparative compensation study to determine the fair stipend amount
The Town routinely conducts comparative compensation studies when considering salary adjustments for employees. Yet, Wednesday's agenda contains no comparable analysis of elected-official compensation, Council workload, or the financial impact. The outgoing Council would also be approving the increases just two weeks before newly elected officials take office. Council could postpone its decision until a comprehensive review is available.
Fair compensation deserves a fair, transparent review
Councilmembers deserve a stipend for their time and effort. Perhaps, after 14 years, an adjustment is warranted. However, proposing to nearly triple their compensation simply to match what Marana pays is difficult to justify without further analysis. Council needs to give this matter considerably more thought rather than make a hasty decision without adequate supporting rationale.
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