Santa Maria might give the members of its City Council a $341.31 monthly raise — it would be the first salary increase since 2022.
Currently, council members make $1,706.90 a month, and the proposal would increase salaries by 20%.
Mayor Alice Patino would also receive a salary increase on top of her $1,956.90 monthly paycheck.
Assistant City Manager Chuen Wu said on top of their role in the city government, most of the council has additional employment.
“I think the value of the work that they spend time on, I think it's greater than the dollar amount that is being given back to the council members,” Wu told KCBX.
A staff report on the topic says despite having one of the largest populations in the region, Santa Maria council members make significantly less than their counterparts in nearby cities.
In fact, Santa Barbara council members make more than three times their current salaries.
Santa Maria has struggled to balance its budget in recent years, and had to pull from reserve funds to cover costs for fiscal year 2026-2027.
The council will discuss the proposal at this week's meeting, but if approved, the raises wouldn’t go into effect until December of this year.
