An Atlanta city council committee has accepted a report from the City of Atlanta Elected Official Compensation Commission which recommends that council members’ salaries be increased by 76% raising their current incomes from $72,360 to $127,500. The council president’s salary would go from $74,400 to $132,500, an increase of 78%.
The same report recommends school board members receive a pay increase of 133% which would increase current salaries from $30,000 to $70,000.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dicken’s would also get a 36% increase taking his salary from $202,730 to $271,000.
Council members last saw a salary increase in January of 2021.
“We wanted to make sure if people wanted to serve in an elected capacity, that they would be able to do so at a salary that would allow them to be able. If you’re a single father and taking care of children or a single mother taking care of children, that you would be able to afford to buy a place in the City of Atlanta. And that was important for us to express as a value,” said Quinton Washington, chair of the Elected Officials Compensation Commission.
The Committee on Council accepted the report with a 5-0 vote.
While the Compensation Commission’s report was accepted by a 5 – 0 vote, the salary increases would only go into effect if legislation outlining the changes was proposed and approved by the full city council.
Washington said they looked at Atlanta’s housing market, a desire for leadership stability, peer cities and workload for each position as factors in recommending these salary adjustments.
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