Camas Salary Commission OKs pay bump for mayor, councilors

The Camas Salary Commission last week unanimously approved a 2% stipend increase for the mayor and city council members.

The Commission held a public hearing on the proposed stipend increase on Wednesday, Nov. 13. No members of the public commented during the hearing, but Camas City Administrator Doug Quinn said one city council member had noted that they opposed the increase.

Earlier this year, Councilwoman Jennifer Senescu mentioned during a city council workshop that she was opposed to the stipend increases considering the City’s expected revenue shortfall in 2025-26.

Commission members noted the objection, but said they felt the 2% increase was in line with inflation, lower than the 2.4% cost-of-living increase many unionized City staffers will receive in 2025, and similar to the stipend increases the Commission approved in 2022 and 2023.

The Commission also recommended no increases for the mayor’s or council members’ monthly technology allowance or for the mayor’s vehicle allowance.

Currently, Camas Mayor Steve Hogan receives a monthly stipend of $3,000 while the Council members each receive $1,200 a month. Hogan also receives a monthly $300 vehicle allowance and $100 technology allowance, while council members receive $75 a month for technology needs, but do not have a vehicle allowance.

The Commission’s recommendation will increase the council members’ monthly stipends to $1,224 a month in 2025, and the mayor’s stipend up to $3,060 a month in 2025. The vehicle and technology allowances will stay the same.

The Salary Commission asked Camas’ mayor and Council members to track their time and showed that, in 2024, the Council members each spent an average of 18.75 hours per week attending meetings, interacting with citizens and attending trainings or webinars. Camas’ mayor, who attends more events and meetings during the course of his work running the day-to-day operations of the City, estimates that he works an average of 30 hours each week on mayor-related business.

Quinn noted during the Nov. 13 public hearing that the mayor and council members meet for around four hours every other week for their bimonthly regular meetings and workshops, have commission appointment duties, attend city events and that three council members have also been attending regular regional fire authority planning committee meetings, which last more than one hour, on a weekly or biweekly basis “for the better part of a year.”