By John Dobberstein, Editor
After a brief discussion, the Broken Arrow City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday establishing salaries for Council members.
The mayor of Broken Arrow – who is appointed by Council members – will be paid $12,000 annually, while remaining Council members will be paid $9,000 per year.
Payments to the Council members will go out at the same time as city employees. Council members are not entitled to deferred compensation, and salary payments to a Council member will cease when a seat is vacated.
City Council members will still be entitled to reimbursement for certain expenses (such as out-of-city or out-of-state travel or cell phone use), and the salary levels cannot be revisited again until April 1, 2029.
At-Large City Council member Johnnie Parks said he was “100% in support” of the idea and moved for the ordinance to be passed, seconded by Ward 4 Council member Justin Green. The vote was passed 5-0.
Tuesday’s action came after the city studied municipalities of similar in size in several states and discovered Broken Arrow’s elected Council members were the only ones receiving no pay compared to its peers. City leaders have not only discussed being paid for their own time commitments, but a need to attract more Broken Arrow residents to public service.
Broken Arrow’s population has grown from about 36,000 in the early 1980s to 121,000 as of 2024. Although serving on the City Council is a significant time investment, Broken Arrow is the largest city in the state that does not pay City Council members.
Citing the results of the study, Broken Arrow City Manager Michael Spurgeon recommended the salary levels that were approved. FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE RELATED STORY HERE.
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