Commission Wants to Increase Dallas Mayor, Council Salaries

Dallas is the ninth biggest city in the country, but its mayor makes $20,000 a year less than the mayor of the much-smaller Austin.

A special commission studying this issue wants to boost the mayor's salary by more than $10,000 a year — and they may formally recommend the plan to the city council Tuesday night.

The 2014 Charter Review Commission has been reviewing the salaries of Dallas City Council members and the mayor and wants to see hefty increases.

The commission wants to increase the mayor's salary from $60,000 a year to $71,864 — a 20-percent salary hike. It also wants to see a 32-percent increase for council members, from $37,500 to $49,530.

Those salaries are greater than San Antonio and Fort Worth, but still significantly less than Houston and Austin.

The mayor believes that higher pay for elected officials would greatly increase the pool of candidates and allow lower-income residents, stay-at-home soccer moms, and small business owners the chance to better serve their communities.

The Charter Review Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday and they could make changes to their proposal before it heads off to the city council. Ultimately, the plan would need to be approved by Dallas voters, likely on the November ballot.

CURRENT CITY COUNCIL SALARIES IN TEXAS

  • Austin: $69, 885
  • Houston: $55,770
  • Dallas: $37,500
  • Fort Worth: $25,000
  • San Antonio: $1,400
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