City Council approves salary increases for City Council members

One Councilor said it wasn’t a wise idea, another said it could allow more people to serve.

On Monday, in addition to considering the use of ranked-choice voting, Charlottesville City Council decided on something else that could impact future elections, voting 4 to 1 to increase the salaries of those who serve on Council. The increase will not go into effect until July 1, 2026. The Mayor’s salary will go from $20,000 annually to $37,000 annually, and City Councilor salaries will go from $18,000 annually to $34,000 annually. The ordinance also allows City Council to periodically adjust those salaries for inflation by up to five percent at a time.

“At a time when we have been raising every tax that we can raise in order raise funds for whatever purposes we have, it seems to me that sends a very unwelcome message people,” said Councilor Lloyd Snook, the lone vote against the ordinance, “and I don’t think its a wise idea.”

Earlier in the evening, activ…