Whitefish to ask voters if council could receive compensation

Whitefish voters will be asked whether or not council members and the mayor could receive pay for their work. 

City Council on May 6 voted unanimously to put the question on the November ballot to change the city charter making it permissible for elected officials to receive compensation. 

The vote on whether to change the charter will happen on Nov. 5 and the ballot initiative reads: Members of the city council may receive compensation, such as a salary, stipend, city-paid health insurance, per diem or mileage allowance, all as set by resolution after a public hearing.

The vote does not determine whether or not councilors and the mayor will receive compensation, it merely amends the city’s charter to permit compensation.

Currently, the Whitefish city charter states that members of the council shall receive no salary. They do, however, have some benefits, including reimbursement of up to $500 for an electronic device, $150 per quarter toward the use of a cell phone, a membership to the WAVE and the ability to opt into the city’s health insurance plan and pay the full premium.

According to Whitefish City Attorney Angela Jacobs, should the public vote in favor of the charter change, the council would likely have a work session to discuss the benefits, then consider a resolution to set the benefits, which would require at least one public hearing.

The council previously held two work sessions to discuss compensation and study how other towns compensate councilors and mayors.

“At that meeting, too, we discussed having the city pay for health insurance benefits as an administrative policy, but you folks did direct that that go to the voters, as well,” Jacobs said.

Councilor Steve Qunell said it is time for the council to ensure that the current and future councils are compensated for their time spent maintaining the city.

“I strongly support that we get the ball rolling on January first to get the charter changed and, very soon thereafter, start coming up with ideas for how we should be compensated,” Qunell said.

Four members of the public commented and were in support of the charter change.

Resident Beth Sobba said she favors compensation for the council and mayor but was concerned about the amount of compensation as well as limits and oversight.

“If this is adopted by the voters, it would then be advertised for another public hearing whereupon limits and options would be set via resolution,” Mayor John Muhlfeld explained. “There will be two more public hearings.”

Councilor Rebecca Norton noted that Troy and Whitefish are the only two cities in the state that do not reimburse city councilors or mayors. She asked if other cities provide a salary or stipend or a mix of each. 

City Manager Dana Smith fielded a question about the difference between a salary and a stipend. 

“A stipend is a set dollar amount that is determined based on what activities you are doing,” Smith said. “A salary is something you would set … it could be a $5,000 salary, but really it comes down to how you treat that in the taxability format for the IRS.”

Norton proposed that the wording be changed to "city-paid" health insurance and that the charter change, if voted for, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. Both amendments passed before the ordinance itself passed unanimously.

“This is for the future; it’s not for us,” Norton said. “We have a lot of need in our community to encourage participation in the public process and this is one way we can do it.”