How a new state law allowing city councils to raise their pay fosters equitable government

by Kiley Russell, Bay City News July 8, 2023December 5, 2023

Members of the Mill Valley City Council listen to public comments during an Aug. 18, 2017, meeting on affordable housing. A new law authored by state Sen. Bill Dodd allows city councils to raise their maximum compensation to keep pace with inflation, "making it easier for public servants to balance careers and personal obligations," Dodd said. (Fabrice Florin/Flickr, CC BY-SA)

Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation designed to increase the diversity of city council members in California by increasing salaries.

State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, authored Senate Bill 329, which cleared the Legislature on June 13 and was signed by the governor before the end of the month.

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Kiley Russell, Bay City News

Kiley Russell writes primarily for Local News Matters on issues related to equity and the environment. A Bay Area native, he has lived most of his life in Oakland. He studied journalism at San Francisco State University, worked for the Associated Press and the former Contra Costa Times, among other outlets. He has covered everything from state legislatures, local governments, federal and state courts, crime, growth and development, political campaigns of various stripes, wildfires and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

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