12/21/09

Madam Mayor Pro-Tem,

I apologize for not being with you tonight. I am escaping winter ice storms in Montana and will be home as soon as I can, but not soon enough for the meeting.

At last week’s workshop discussion of the budget, it was mentioned that the Council does not have the discretion to decrease its own salary. After reading the Washougal Municipal Code regarding the salary of the City Council, I realize that indeed the Council does not have the power to unilaterally decrease its own salary. My request to the Council to take a voluntary pay cut was based upon my assumption that we had some flexibility to accept something less than the Salary Commission’s determined level. That was my error.

On some level, there is wisdom in allowing the Salary Commission to have control over the elected official’s compensation, thus removing the profit motive of the Council from the equation. This takes the decision-making power away from those who would profit from it. Also, it removes from the Council the ability to use salary decreases as a punitive tool against another elected official, such as the mayor. Even with all these safeguards against abusing the system for personal political agendas, it is disturbing to me that public officials who make the law can then point to that law claiming that there’s nothing that we can do about it.

The current Salary Commission code was passed in 2006. I will review the code with wise counsel to see if it needs to be amended. Regardless of whether the code should be amended to allow for future councils to set pay decreases for themselves, today I have a solution.

I believe it is necessary to stand by my word. Therefore, because I requested a 5% pay decrease for my council salary, I will follow through with that request by returning to the City 5% of my pay for 2010. My intent in the first place was to demonstrate to Washougal citizens that we feel their pain, and are willing to cut our own meager stipend in a stand of solidarity. If the gesture is to mean anything at all, it should be followed through. Just last week, in my job at Horizon Airlines, I flew with a First Officer who just got word that he will be furloughed after Christmas. If the economy is in the midst of a recovery, it sure is difficult to see it. Even if it is painful to go through the hoops and hurdles of voluntarily returning part of my city salary, I know that I will be able to look my friend who is being furloughed and others in the eye and say that for my part, this particular elected official will not be part of the problem. May the economic recovery come quickly.

Sincerely,

Michael Delavar