At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Brea City Council voted 5-0 to increase each councilmember’s monthly compensation from $680 to $824.
The council has not had an increase since 2005, and this raise, we were told, was for an inflationary adjustment. It is not in addition to automobile or any other allowances, unlike several other cities.
City Ordinance No. 1246 will not be enacted until January, when possibly some new people will have been elected to the council. So the present councilmembers will not benefit by it unless they are still on the council at that time.
According to California Government Code No. 36516 the Brea City Council is entitled to monetary compensation based on the city’s population. Brea’s population is 47,397, according to the 2020 census, but it is probably closer to 48,000 at this time.
The state’s maximum compensation for cities with populations between 35,000 and 50,000 is $1,275 per month. So they could, by law, take more, but don’t. According to staff it is because they based the increase on the $800 median salary of the city councils in the 10-city survey they use.
The 10 cities are Fullerton, Orange, Tustin, Whittier, Corona, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Newport Beach and Brea. Their city councils’ monthly income ranges from $600 to $1,605. That highest amount goes to councilmembers in Newport Beach.
So what do Brea’s neighboring city councils that are not part of the 10-city survey receive per month? In Yorba Linda, population 68,000, their city council earns $500 plus $100 for auto expenses. They are also reimbursed for cell phone expenses related to city business and out-of-town expenses. Placentia’s population is 53,381 and their councilmembers receive $1,800 per year.
In La Habra, with a 62,609 population, councilmembers earn $500 per month, and it has been that amount for many years, according to La Habra City Manager Rhonda Barone.
Monthly compensation for Brea councilmembers has been a part of the city’s…
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