(a) Purpose: It is the policy of the City to base salaries of elected officials on realistic standards so that officials may be paid according to the duties of their offices, so that citizens of the highest quality may be attracted to public service. To effectuate this policy, the Everett Citizens’ Commission on Salaries of Elected Officials is created consisting of seven (7) members with duties and responsibilities as set forth below.

(b) Duties: The Commission shall study the relationship of salaries to the duties of all elected officials and shall set the salaries for each respective position. Except as provided otherwise below, the Commission shall be solely responsible for its own organization, operation, and action and shall enjoy the fullest cooperation of all elected officials, departments and agencies of the City.

(c) Eligibility: The Commission shall consist of seven (7) members, all of whom must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age, registered to vote, and maintain personal residence within the boundaries of the City. No City official, or public employee, immediate family member of the official or employee is eligible for membership on the Commission. As used in this subsection, the phrase “immediate family” means parents, spouse, siblings, children, or dependent relative of the official or employee, whether or not they are living in the same household.

(d) Appointment: Two (2) members of the Commission shall be appointed by the City Council and one (1) member shall be appointed by the Mayor; those three members shall select the other four (4) members. The members of the Commission shall serve four (4) year terms beginning January 1, 1997, except that the first seven members shall be appointed for different terms as follows: (a) one member appointed by the City Council for a period of four years; (b) one member appointed by the City Council for a period of two years; (c) the one member appointed by the Mayor to serve for a period of two years; (d) two of the members selected by those three members to serve for periods of four years; and (e) two of the members selected by those three members to serve for periods of two years. No person may serve more than two (2) consecutive terms. Members of the Commission may be removed by the Mayor, with the approval of the City Council, only for cause of incapacity, incompetence, neglect of duty, malfeasance in office, or for a disqualifying change of eligibility. The unexcused absence of any member of the Commission from two (2) consecutive meetings of the Commission shall constitute relinquishment of that person’s membership on the Commission. Such a relinquishment creates a vacancy in that person’s position on the Commission. Upon a vacancy in any position on the Commission, a successor shall be selected and appointed to fill the unexpired term.

The selection and appointment shall be concluded within thirty (30) days of the date that the position becomes vacant and shall be conducted in the same manner as originally provided for that person’s appointment.

(e) Operation: The members of the Commission shall elect a chair from among their number. The Commission shall set a schedule of salaries by an affirmative vote of not less than five (5) members of the Commission. Members of the Commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

(f) Determination of Salary Schedule: The Commission shall file its initial schedules of salaries for the elected officials with the City Clerk no later than the first Monday in May 1997, and subsequently shall file a schedule on the same day every two years. The signature of the chair of the Commission shall be affixed to each schedule submitted to the City Clerk. The chair shall certify that the schedule has been adopted in accordance with the provisions of this charter and with the rules, if any, of the Commission. Such schedules shall become effective ninety (90) days after their filing, except as provided in section (h) below.

(g) Open Meetings: All meetings, actions, hearings, and business of the Commission shall be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act as set forth in Chapter 42.30 of the Revised Code of Washington. Prior to the filing of any salary schedule, the Commission shall hold no fewer than two (2) public hearings on the schedule within the two (2) months immediately preceding the filing.

(h) Referendum: Any change of salary shall be subject to referendum petition by the citizens filed within the ninety (90) day period after the filing of the schedule of salaries. Referendum measures under this section shall be submitted to the citizens at the next following municipal election, and shall be otherwise governed by the provisions of this charter; provided, for the purpose of a referendum, the schedule of salaries shall be treated as an ordinance.

Further, the City Council may submit the salary schedule filed pursuant to this section to the citizens at the next following municipal election. Provided, City Council submission to the citizens shall only be made upon passage of an ordinance by a vote of a majority plus one of the whole membership.

(i) The Mayor and Council members shall receive reimbursement for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of their office, or the Council by ordinance may provide for a per diem allowance. Procedure for approval of claims for expenses shall be as provided by ordinance, consistent with state law. (Amended 11-5-96)