Saline City Council Salaries Rise

Saline City Council voted to give itself a raise, Monday evening. But the four to two vote was not unanimous. Councilor Dillon was not at the meeting and Councilor Girbach and Mayor Brian Marl voted against it.

“The dollar amount is nominal, but I think there is some optics at play here. … To me its not about money, and it sends the wrong message,” Mayor Brian Marl told the Sun Times News in a phone interview after the meeting.

Girbach also cited “optics” in his no vote.

The recommendation to do this was presented from the Local Officers Compensation Commission. The Commission was set up to recommend to council every other year on what the salary for elected officials in Saline should be, according to Marl.

The move increases Mayor Brian Marl’s salary from $4,950 to $5,100 per year and the Mayor Pro-Tem and Councilors salary from $3,350 to $3,500 for 2021. In 2022, the Mayor’s salary will increase to $5,100 and all other Councilors will see their pay stay the same, according to the packet for the February 2 meeting.

Public officials in Saline have seen their salaries raise year on year since 2019. In that year, the Mayor received $4,670 and the Council received $3,000, according to the recommendation. Last year, the Mayor received $4,800 and the rest of the council received $3,200.

“These salaries are comparable to other salaries of elected officials within Michigan cities the same size as the City of Saline, as well as illustrated in a salaries and wages study provided by the Michigan Municipal League,” the Commission said in a memorandum to the city clerk.

This raise is about $150 per year, as noted Councilor Ceo, as he explained his yes vote. Council has been very busy during the coronavirus pandemic, leading Ceo and the Commission to the conclusion that the pay raise was necessary.