Explanation
In November 2014, Columbus voters approved a series of ballot issues which amended the Columbus City Charter. Included among the changes was a mandate to establish a Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation to review and recommend the salary for each elective officer of the city, with the underlying goal of increasing citizen engagement and adding an additional layer of accountability to the process of setting future pay rates for elected officials in Columbus.
The 2015 Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation issued its reports and recommendations in June 2015 and the Commission’s recommendations were enacted by City Council pursuant to Ordinance 3185-2015 for the years 2016 through 2021. In January 2018, Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Council President Shannon Hardin formed the 2018 Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation as required under Section 15-2 of the Columbus City Charter and charged them with reviewing compensation for the mayor, city council members, city council president, city attorney, and city auditor, and make salary recommendations including an annual cost of living adjustment to not exceed the average increase in the consumer price index over the preceding four years.
Commission members included:
• Fred Ransier, Chair, Partner, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
• Joel Diaz, Chief Marketing & Community Affairs Officer, Equitas Health
• Diana Givand, Associate, Dinsmore & Shohl, LLP
• Qiana Williams, Human Resources Director, OhioHealth
• Robert J. Weiler, Sr., Chair of the Board, The Robert Weiler Company
The 2018 Compensation Commission held seven meetings before finalizing recommendations for the salary of each elective official of the city. Under the Columbus City Charter, setting elected official salaries will still require a public vote of City Council. Council may accept and enact the Commission’s recommendations in whole or in part. Council may enact all of the recommendations as submitted, some of the recommendations as submitted, or may enact an amount less than recommended. However, Council is prohibited from enacting any amount greater than the recommendations.
The salaries for all City of Columbus elected officials were set in Ordinance No. 3185-2018. Pursuant to City Charter Section 15, salaries for these positions cannot be increased or diminished during an elected official’s term in office. This ordinance amends the Management Compensation Plan (MCP) to set salaries for the mayor, city auditor, city council members, city council president, and the city attorney for years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Title
To accept the recommendations of the Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation and to amend the Management Compensation Plan by amending Sections 5(E)-C180, City Attorney (E); 5(E)-C185, City Auditor (E); 5(E)-C215, City Council Member; 5(E)-C220, City Council President; and 5(E)-M090, Mayor (E); and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, the Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation was established in 2015 as a result of the changes to Section 15 of the City Charter approved by voters in November 2014; and
WHEREAS, in January 2018, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Council President Shannon G. Hardin appointed five commissioners to the 2018 Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation; and
WHEREAS, the current Management Compensation Plan, Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended does not provide for salaries for the city attorney, city auditor, city council member, city council president, or mayor for the years 2022 - 2026; and
WHEREAS, following an extensive review of elected official compensation in comparable cities, and after extensive public outreach and deliberation, the Compensation Commission voted unanimously to establish a base salary for city auditor, city attorney, city council members, city council president, and mayor in year 2022; and
WHEREAS, the Compensation Commission unanimously voted to establish an annual cost of living increase for all elective officers of the City that shall be equal to, but not exceed, the geometric average increase in the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-U, All U.S. Cities, Size Class A, All Items for the four-year period ending the month prior to the year in which the cost of living increase will be realized; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City in that it is immediately necessary to implement the recommendations of the Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation Commission as required under the City Charter; Now, therefore
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That Sections 5(E)-C180, 5(E)-C185, 5(E)-C215, 5(E)-C220, and 5(E)-M090 of Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended, be amended to read as follows:
Ord. Section: 5(E)-C180
Class Code: 0044
Class Title: City Attorney (E)
Grade: $177,500/year; (Eff. 1/1/18, $184,600/year; Eff. 1/1/19. $184,600+COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/20, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/21, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/22, $184,600 as adjusted + 4 percent; Eff. 1/1/23, $184,600 as adjusted +COLA/year; 1/1/24, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/2025, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year.
Ord. Section: 5(E)-C185
Class Code: 0043
Class Title: City Auditor (E)
Grade: $177,500/year; (Eff. 1/1/18, $184,600/year; Eff. 1/1/19, $184,600 + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/20, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/21, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/22, $184,600 as adjusted + 4 percent; Eff. 1/1/23, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/24, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $184,600 as adjusted + COLA/year.
Ord. Section 5(E)-C215
Class Code: 0400
Class Title: City Council Member (E)
Grade: $55,517/year; (Eff. 1/1/18, $57,738/year; Eff. 1/1/19 $57,738 + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/20, $57,738 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/21, $57,738 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/122, $57,738 as adjusted + 20 percent; Eff. 1/1/23, $57,738 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/24, $57,738 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $57,738 as adjusted + COLA/year.
Ord. Section: 5(E)-C220
Class Code: 0405
Class Title: City Council President (E)
Grade: $66,786/year; (Eff. 1/1/18, $69,458/year; Eff. 1/1/19, $69,458 + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/20, $69,458 as adjusted +COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/21, $69,458 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/22, $69,458 as adjusted + 20 percent; Eff. 1/1/23, $69,458 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/24, $69,458 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $69,458 as adjusted + COLA/year.
Ord. Section: 5(E)-M090
Class Code: 0045
Class Title: Mayor (E)
Grade: $191,871/year (Eff. 1/1/20, $197,627/year; Eff. 1/1/21, $197,627 + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/22, $197,627 as adjusted + 2 percent; Eff. 1/1/23, $197,627 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/24, $197,627 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $197, 627 as adjusted + COLA/year.
Section 2. That existing Section 5(E)-C180, 5(E)-C185, 5(E)-C215, 5(E)-C220 and 5(E)-M090 of Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended, are hereby repealed with the passage of this ordinance, except that the salaries as set forth therein through calendar year 2021 for City Attorney, City Auditor, City Council Member, City Council President, and Mayor, shall not be repealed.
Section 3. That the salaries as amended herein be effective with the beginning of the new term for those elected to the offices of City Attorney (E), City Auditor (E), City Council Member (E), City Council President (E) and Mayor (E) beginning January 1, 2022.
Section 4. That annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) referenced in Section 1 herein shall be calculated by the Department of Human Resources by determining the geometric average increase in the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-U, All U.S. Cities, Size Class A, All Items for the four-year-period ending the month prior to the year in which the cost of living increase will be realized, and such COLA shall be added to the base salary, as adjusted annually, as provided in Section 1 herein.
Section 5. That, to the extent applicable to elected officials, the non-compensation benefits for those elected to the offices of Mayor (E), City Council Member (E), City Council President (E), City Auditor (E), and City Attorney (E), shall be the same as provided for in Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended, or as hereafter provided in the Management Compensation Plan.
Section 6. That for reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in full force from and after approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.