The Grants Pass City Council is asking city voters whether or not Council members deserve a stipend. This would require a change in the city’s charter to allow the implementation of a $400 a month stipend to begin in January of 2025, after two council election cycles. The stipend will be subject to an annual increase based on the consumer price index, not to exceed 3 percent.
In 2019 the council asked voters to approve a $1,000 a month stipend for the eight councilors and the mayor. It was needed, they said, to make running for council more accessible to lower income people. That measure was rejected, with nearly 80 percent of city voters voting no.
This year Councilors slashed the proposal to $400 to help members make up for income lost by being on the board. According to Councilor Vanessa Ogier councilors put in an average of 15 hours a month attending meetings and workshops and for some, that limits their ability to put in all the work hours they need to pay their bills. As in 2019, Councilors agreed this would get a wider range of people willing to run for city council.