Salary Commission for Elected Officials

Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Salary Commission for Elected Officials 190 SE Crestview Street; Council Chambers 6:00 p.m. Page A. Roll Call B. Regular Agenda 1. April 13, 2026 Meeting Minutes 2 Salary Commission Minutes 04-13-2026.docx A motion to dispense with the reading of the April 13, 2026, meeting minutes and approve them as submitted. C. Public Hearing D. Discussion and Salary Recommendation E. Adjournment Page 1 of 2 City of Pullman Salary Commission Meeting Minutes Date: 04-13-2026 Location: Pullman City Hall – Council Chambers City Staff attendees: Sean Wells, Jeff Elbracht Salary Commission attendees: Allison Munch-Rotolo, Shae Ortega, Stephen Heston, Hans Schmidt ▪ The meeting began at approximately 08:31. ▪ The Salary Commission elected Allison Munch-Rotolo as Chair and Hans Schmidt as Secretary. ▪ Jeff Elbracht presented historical compensation data for the City of Pullman, along with demographic and financial data for comparable cities in Washington. ▪ In response to a question from Stephen Heston, Jeff Elbracht confirmed that the Salary Commission’s recommendations would apply for the years 2027 and 2028. ▪ Shae Ortega asked that data from the City of Richland be included with the other cities comparable to Pullman because Richland hosts a WSU campus. ▪ Hans Schmidt asked the group to discuss the merits of keeping salaries flat versus raising them. The group quickly formed a consensus that, given the city’s budget constraints, keeping the salaries flat was the most prudent course of action. ▪ Stephen Heston asked whether the low salary for the Mayor excluded candidates for the position. This led to a discussion about the merits of a “strong mayor” versus a “weak mayor” model. Allison Munch-Rotolo asked if this model could change, and Sean Wells explained that changes would be up to Pullman voters. In response to a question about the Pullman mayor’s workload, Jeff Elbracht noted that the mayor’s workload varies throughout the year and in response to events. ▪ Sean Wells asked if the Commission members would like to speak either to the Mayor or to any member of the City Council. The Commission agreed that this was not necessary. ▪ Shae Ortega moved to keep salaries flat for two years and to schedule a public hearing to make the decision official. The Salary Commission unanimously approved this motion. ▪ The meeting adjourned at approximately 09:07. ________________________________________ Secretary Hans Schmidt Page 2 of 2