Carlsbad council votes for pay raise

CARLSBAD — The City Council approved pay raises for council members, the city clerk and treasurer, along with increasing campaign contribution limits during Tuesday’s meeting.

The council voted, 3-2, to increase their annual pay by about $700, while the clerk and treasurer will receive a raise of about $400 per year. Mayor Keith Blackburn and Councilwoman Melanie Burkholder voted against the raise for the council and mayor with Blackburn citing the city’s budget forecast showing a revenue shortfall in five years.

The council also increased the campaign contribution limits from individual donors for council and mayoral races to $1,100 and $3,600, respectively. The council also approved sending a letter to other local elected officials regarding Windsor Pointe and holding the developer and operator, Affirmed Housing, accountable for an array of complaints, performance issues, and other issues with the troubled property.

Finally, council newcomer Kevin Shin was appointed, 4-1, as the city’s representative to the San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors. He replaces Burkholder, who had been the city’s representative for the past two years. Blackburn voted in favor, but said Burkholder was his first choice.

Council salaries

Voters approved Measure G in 2020, which ties council pay raises to the San Diego Regional Consumer Price Index.

The council approved a 2.6% increase this year based on the November index. Council members will now earn $28,991.64 per year, up from $28,257, which was last year. The mayor will earn $30,191.64 compared to $29,457 last year, while the clerk and treasurer will both earn $14,248.32 for 2025.

According to the staff report, the combined total for 2025 is $4,200.

The City Council also approved raises in February 2024, including a 4% increase for council members, increasing compensation from $27,170.16 to $28,257 and from $28,370.16 to $29,457.00 for the mayor, who receives an additional monthly compensation of $100 under the Carlsbad Municipal Code. The annual compensation for the city clerk and treasurer also increased by 4% last year, going from $13,700.28 to $14,248.32.

“We’ve been briefed recently … because of the economy, because of inflation, in four or five years the city will be bringing in less money than its spending,” Blackburn said. “This is just my way of being an example of saying until we can show we are bringing in more money than we are spending, I will decline (the raise).”