Manteca City Council members could start receiving $1,900 a month instead of the current $600 beginning in mid-December.

That will happen if the City Council when they meet Tuesday at 6 p.m. adopt new compensation parameters that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law addressing salaries for general law cities such as Manteca, Lathrop, Ripon, and Tracy.

The last time council compensation in Manteca was changed was in 2020.

That is when the current amount of $600 now being paid went into effect.

Elected leaders in 2019 opted not to go as high as the $925 a month allowed under state law at the time.

Prior to that, the City Council went 17 years without a salary increase. The rate of pay during those years was $500 a month.

State law probits councils from increasing current pay until after elections.

That is why if the council approved an ordinance change Tuesday and passes a second reading on June 4, it won’t go into effect until Dec. 16.

That is the date of the first council meeting after the 30-day period the county election’s office has to count and certify results of the Nov. 5 general election.

The new allows for cities such as Manteca (90,917 residents) to pay council members up to $1,900 a month as part of the state established range for cities between 75,000 and 150,000 residents. The same salary limit would apply to Tracy.

In the case of Lathrop and Ripon since they have under 35,000 residents, they could adjust council compensation up to a limit of $950 a month.

If the Manteca council opts to go to $1.900, that would raise their annual compensation from $7,200 to $22,800.

Most council members spend at least 20 hours a week on city-related business.

That includes council meetings, prepping for council meetings, serving on council subcommittees, representing the city on regional concerns that impact Manteca from flood protection districts and rail service to countywide transportation funding, and more.

In addition, they interact with constituents among other things.

Based on a  minimum 80 hours a month, the $1,900 salary would translate into $22.50 an hour.

If council members invested more hours per week on city-related business, they would not receive additional funds. Stipends — or a salary if they go that route — is basically a flat rate of compensation.

Council members over the years have noted the stipends they receive typically cover the “cost” of their circulating with the public.

They attend numerous community events that have tickets they need to purchase to attend.

As such, much of the $600 stipend each could member currently receives basically covers out-of-pocket expenses incurred by being an elected city officials.

In explaining the reason for the change, the legislature stated that the existing compensation levels based on population had not been adjusted since 1984.

It was also noted "allowing cities to adjust their compensation for inflation may help city councils become more diverse because increased compensation can help individuals from across different income levels receive sufficient income from their service to help ensure that they can continue to serve the public and support their families."

In other words, the legislature felt there was a need to update the numbers after 40 years, and there was a desire to encourage participation by individuals who might otherwise be discouraged from running for office due to the low pay and time commitment.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com