Eliminate the salary for the Mayor and City Council: Attract those who want to make a difference instead of career politicians

In an effort to reduce the attractiveness of running for the Modesto City Council/Mayor to career politicians, I am proposing some fundamental changes. Modesto City Council members currently are paid $24,000 annually. The Mayor is paid $42,000 annually. Plus the Mayor and Council members are provided a credit card on which they can charge hotel rooms, restaurant tabs, travel expenses, gas, etc.. To curb the enticement to professional politicians to run for the Council for personal enrichment, I propose that we allow Council members to retain the credit card with very strict limitations, but that we curtail their salaries. I propose that we pay the Mayor a stipend of $1000 per year plus a $200 per diem for attending City Council meetings but no salary. I propose that we pay City Council members a per diem of $100 per meeting attended but no salary. 

A call to public service

Serving as Mayor or a City Council member is supposed to be public service. It is not supposed to be a source of income or a "living" for its members. Additionally, I propose that we suspend the credit cards for any members of the City Council, including the Mayor, who have filed their candidacy for another office while in office. That way, we can be sure that the City is not paying the campaign or special event expenses of those candidates. 

Get rid of term limits

Finally, I propose that we get rid of term limits for members of the City Council, including the Mayor. That way, the Council members and Mayor are much less likely to spend their time in office running for other offices instead of tending to City business. 

 

Original purpose of the Modesto City Council

The Modesto City Council was designed to be a place where public minded, dedicated, sincere, self-sufficient or gainfully employed or retired people could serve and make a difference for Modesto. It was not intended as a main income source or stopping point from which to launch a political career. 

Attracting civic minded people to run for office in Modesto

If we implement the changes that I have proposed in this article, we will attract the kinds of people who want to be on the Council to make a difference and help improve the quality of life in Modesto. The changes that I have proposed here will mitigate the attractiveness of running for the City Council/Mayor to professional politicians and to those who have personal gain and enrichment in mind instead of quality public service to one's community. Make these changes and you will see more public-spirited, civic minded people running for office in Modesto instead of career politicians. And the quality of life in Modesto will improve significantly.