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Thursday, October 01, 2009

Salary Commission Way To Diversify City Council

By David S. Campbell
City Charter Task Force Member
      The proposed Independent Citizens Salary Commission for Albuquerque's city government is a good idea, and has been unfairly criticized by the Albuquerque Journal. This is Proposition 2 on Tuesday's city ballot.
       Here's the proposal: Let's change Albuquerque's City Charter to allow a group of appointed citizens to periodically review the salaries paid to the mayor and city councilors. These citizens would not be appointed by the mayor or councilors, but rather by the Accountability in Government Commission, another appointed group of citizens. The periodic review by the Citizens Salary Commission would take into account the details of the economy, the cost of living and the amount of time and work expected of the city official. The commission process will permit a reasoned and reasonable approach to the oft-times purely emotional subject of paying public officials salaries.
       If Albuquerque adopts this process, it will not be the first American city to do so. Atlanta and Tucson have citizen salary commissions already in place. They work well.
       There is another important reason to fairly compensate those who serve in public office. Fair compensation broadens the field of those who are willing to serve. The system as currently structured relies on retirees, public sector employees, and people with substantial assets or incomes to serve. Those who would lose their hourly wages or worse, their jobs, will not step up to serve the public in the mayor or council positions. The public is the poorer for this lack of fair compensation because it leads to a lack of diversity in our choice of candidates.
       There is nothing “sneaky” about appointing a citizen committee to make determinations about an important public issue. Indeed, the city has dozens of citizen commissions and boards that make all manner of important civic decisions; from planning to air quality and airport operations to zoo facilities. A salary commission would fit well in the pantheon of existing democratic, citizen based institutions in our city.
       I encourage voters to take a good look at the Citizens Independent Salary Commission, and vote yes on Tuesday.
       

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