Ordinance 06-021 Creating Salary Commission •
CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY
SPOKANE COUNTY,WASHINGTON
ORDINANCE NO. 06-021
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY, SPOKANE COUNTY,
WASHINGTON, CREATING AN INDEPENDENT SALARY COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND
SET THE SALARIES OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COIJNCILi` MBERS; AND PROVIDING
FOR OTHER MATTERS PROPERLY RELATED THERETO.
WHEREAS, it serves the interests of the City to have a separate, independent commission to
establish the future salaries of the Mayor and City Council; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State Legislature through RCW Chapter 35.21, authorizes cities,
towns and counties to create an independent salary commission to set the salaries of elected officials; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to RCW 35,21,015, the action fixing the salary by a commission
supersedes any other provision of City ordinance related to the fixing of salaries for elected officials.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Spokane Valley, Washington ordains as
follows:
Section 1. Independent Salary Commission.
A. Creation of Independent Salary Commission. There is hereby established for the City of
Spokane Valley an Independent Salary Commission, for a period of one year.
B. Purpose. The purpose of the Independent Salary Commission shall be to review and
establish the salaries of the Mayor and the Councilmembers.
C. Composition. The Independent Salary Commission shall consist of five (5) members
appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.
D. Compensation. The Independent Salary Commission shall serve without compensation.
E. Term. The term of appointment is one(1)year.
F. Qualifications.
1. Each person appointed to serve as a member of the Independent Salary
Commission shall be a citizen of the United States, a resident of the City of
Spokane Valley for at least one(1)year immediately preceding such appointment
and while serving on the Commission, and a registered voter in Spokane County.
2. No officer, official, or employee of the City or any of their immediate family
members may serve on the Commission. "Immediate family member" as used in
this section means the parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relatives
of the officer, official, or employee, whether or not living in the household of the
officer, official, or employee.
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0. Operation.
1. The Independent Salary Commission shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair from
among its members. The Independent Salary Commission may establish and
adopt rules of procedure for the efficient and fair conduct of its business.
2. The City Manager shall appoint staff and make available supplies and equipment
to assist the Independent Salary Commission in preparation of its reports and
records.
3. Any communioatton from the Independent Salary Commission to any member of
the City Council while reviewing the schedule of salaries, shall be in writing and
made part of the record of the Commission's proceedings.
4. The Independent Salary Commission shall keep a written record of its
proceedings, which shall be a public record in accordance vrrith state law, and
shall actively solicit public comment at all meetings which shall be subject to the
Open Public Meetings Act.
S. The first meeting of the Independent Salary Commission shall occur no later than
October 23, 2006, and the Commission shall review and, if it so determines,
amend and tile its schedule of salaries with the City Clerk no later than
December 4. 2006.
6. Three (3) members of the Independent Salary Commission shad constitute a
quorum and the affirmative vote of three (3) members shall be sufficient for the
decision of all matters and the transaction of all business.
H. Responsibilities. To determine the appropriate rate of compensation, the Independent
Salary Commission shall assess the market rate of compensation for elected City officials and study the
relationship of salaries to the duties of the Mayor and the City Counci]members. Salaries shall be
established by an affirmative vote of not less than three (3) members.
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Removal. A member of the independent Salary Commission may only he removed
during the term of office for cause such as incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in
office or for a disqualifying chancre of residence,
.1. Filing. Date-Salary Schedule_ The Independent Salary Commission shall file its salary
schedule with the City Clerk who will publish the schedule two (2) times, at least one week apart, in the
official newspaper of the City. The second date of publication shall be considered the official filing date
of the salary schedule,
K., Effective Date — Salaries . The Commission's salary schedule will become effective in
the amounts, at the times, and under the conditions established in the schedule unless a referendum has
been filed in accordance with Section 2 of this Ordinance_ Once filed, the schedule shall be incorporated
into the City budget without further action of the City Council or Salary Commission_ Salary adjustments
established by the Commission that result in a salary increase are effective immediately as to all
Councilmembers and/or the Mayor, regardless of their terms of office. If the salary adjustment
established by the Commission results in a salary decrease, the decreased salary shall be effective at the
commencement of the incumbent's next subsequent term of office.
Ordinance 06-021 Salary Commission. Pagc 2 of 4
Section 2. Referendum.
A. Salary Schedule subject to Referendum Petition.
1. The Commission's adopted salary schedule shall be subject to referendum
petition by the people of the City. A petition must be riled with the City Clerk
within thirty (30) days after the official filing date of the salary schedule. In the
event of the filing of a valid referendum petition, the salary increase or decrease
shall not go into effect until approved by a vote of the people.
Referendum measures under this section shall be submitted to the voters of the
City at the next following general or municipal election occurring thirty(30)days
or more after the petition is filed, and shall be otherwise governed by the
provisions of the State Constitution or other laws generally applicable to
referendum measures.
B. Referend.urn_Statement. A referendum statement on a petition shall be phrased in the
following language:
Should the salary schedule filed with the City Clerk of the City of
Spokane Valley by the Independent Salary Commission on
be repealed in its entirety? Your signature on this petition indicates your
vote in favor of repeal of the attached salary schedule in its entirety.
A copy of the salary schedule. or ordinance to such referendum petition shall be attached to
each referendum petition for the information of the parties requested to sign such petition.
C. initiative provisions applied to referendum. process. All state law provisions applicable
to the form of the petition and sufficiency of signatures required for an initiative petition as set forth
herein, and to the submission to the vote of the people as set forth herein; shall apply to a referendum
petition and to the salary schedule sought.Igo be def.."eated thereby.
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D. Referendum —"Effective Date—Record. If a majority of the number of votes cast on the
referendum oppose the salary schedule or ordinance, such salary schedule or ordinance shall be deemed
repealed following.the certification of the vote.
Section 3. Severability.
If any section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance should be held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect
the validity or constitutionality of any other section, sentence, clause or phrase of this Ordinance.
Section 4, Effective Date.
This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect thirty(30) days after publication of this Ordinance
or a summary thereof in the official newspaper of the City as provided by law.
Ordinance.06-021 Salary Commission Page 3 of 4
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY WASE-EINGTON
this 19th day of September, 2006.
CITY OF SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON
By: W
Diana Wilhite, Mayor
ATTEST:
hristine Bainbridge, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
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Office o y-he City "Forney
Date of Publication: 09-22-06
Effective Date: 10-22-06
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