FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno City Council unanimously passes the Fiscal Year 2023 City Budget. The total budget of $1.9 billion is the largest in Fresno’s history.
City Council members did not vote in a controversial 69% pay raise proposed last week.
Instead, in a 5-2 vote on Thursday, June 30, 2022, council gave preliminary approval to a 15% increase in 2023 with future 10% raises, so that by 2025, all council members would receive a 39% raise from their current salary.
Council pay is currently $80,000, and if approved at the final vote in July, pay would increase to $101,200 in 2023, and $111,320 in 2025.
Council members dropped the first plan pitched last week of a $135,044 annual salary after complaints rolled in from the community, and other council members including Garry Bredefeld, who with Council Member Esmeralda Soria were the sole no votes, while Mike Karbassi, Miguel Arias, Tyler Maxwell, Luis Chavez and Nelson Esparza all voted yes on June 23, 2022.
Last week, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer had voiced his own concerns about the message the 69% pay increase would have sent to city taxpayers.
Under the new plan voted on today, the Fresno Mayor’s pay increases to $149,500 per year in 2024, with slight jumps after that.
Fresno City Council casts its final vote on July 21, 2022, and the increases would begin in January of 2023.
