LA Times: Dixon City Council Pays Itself Significantly Lower Than State Binding Guidelines Allow

A Los Angeles Time analysis of city council pay rates throughout the state shows that the Dixon City Council pays itself significantly lower than the state guideline.

The analysis, available by clicking here, shows that members of the Dixon City Council receive a yearly salary of $4,008. The state guideline for a city the size of Dixon calls for a salary of $12,191. The Time’s analysis uses 2009 date provided by the State Controller’s Office.

Dixon’s adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2011-2012 shows however that in 2009, the combined salary of the Dixon City Council was $20,760, which amounts to a $4,152 per council member. In 2010, the council took a pay cut, earning $3,368 per year, but in 2011, that figure increased to a salary of  $4,320 per council member.

In Fiscal Year 2011-2012, council members will earn a yearly salary of $4,320, which with medical benefits will amount to $4,755 per year.

The Times article states that cities such as Dixon, without a charter, have its council salaries set by a formula based on their 1984 population with a 5 percent annual increase. The report indicated that many of the cities have not taken advantage of the 5 percent annual increase and some take advantage of certain loopholes that allow them to boost their salaries even further.

 Check out the Times’ full database here.

 See the Times’ story here.