A Denver City Councilmember intends to alter city charter language for elected officials to have “fixed” annual salary increases every four years be automatic rather than requiring a vote approval from sitting council members each term.

Currently, council member salaries are set after each general election. According to city information, council pay is based on the consumer price index (CPI) or by average staff raises.

The city council votes on approving the raises for elected officials in-office — including Mayor Mike Johnston, Clerk & Recorder Paul López, Auditor Timothy O’Brien and, perhaps most controversially the entire city council.

But there has been a misconception about the council approving its own raises, according to District 5 Councilmember Amanda Sawyer, who is proposing a change in the charter.

“I think everyone, everyone is really bothered by the idea of ‘City Council is giving itself raises,’ when we are required to do it by the charter,” Sawyer told The Denver Gazette.

“This just takes out the requirement that we have to vote on it,” she said. 

Her proposal is expected to be discussed during the council’s Finance & Governance Committee meeting on Tuesday. If approved, it will go before the entire city council. However, the final decision is up to voters during the November election. 

If voters approve it, the automatic pay increased would start on July 19, 2027.

Elected officials’ salaries set for the term that started July 17 are:

• Mayor: $205,990.58
• Auditor: $178,152.24
• Clerk & Recorder: $178,152.24
• President of City Council (Jamie Torres): $123,846.44
• 12 other Members of City Council: $110,595.76

“It is really important for transparency for our residents to know exactly what their elected officials make every four years,” said Sawyer, adding it expands transparency for voters to know salary raises are fixed on the consumer price index, not by the decision of City Council.

Other U.S. cities have passed similar measures: Baltimore, Columbus, Detroit, Memphis, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, San Francisco, San Diego and Philadelphia.

The conflict of interest City Council appears to pose when approving raises, Sawyer said, is “political football that exists for no reason and what it serves to do is misinform and upset voters.”