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Fresno Council, Mayor Get Whopping Pay Raises Under New Proposal
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By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 3 years ago on
June 21, 2022

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A proposal from the Fresno City Council would give elected officials a dramatic pay raise in future years.

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David Taub

Politics 101

Wanting to be in line with what Fresno County Supervisors are paid, the salary of a new councilmember would go from $80,000 to $135,044, a 69% raise according to the plan.

The proposal is sponsored by councilmen Tyler Maxwell, Mike Karbassi and Luis Chavez.

“This is something that the City Council failed to properly address back in 2018. While I will not benefit from this increase, I do support tying the salary to a benchmark,” Karbassi said. “My hope is that this will be the last time politicians in Fresno will ever have to vote on their salaries.”

A supervisor’s salary is currently set at 60% of what a Superior Court judge is paid, as a result of a 1994 resolution. The current salary for judges is $225,074. In turn, state law determines judge salary increases as well as raises other state employees receive.

Fresno County has a population of about 1 million across 6,000 square miles, according to the 2020 Census. The city has 544,510 residents across 112 square miles.

“While I would not benefit from a salary increase, I do support tying council salaries to a benchmark. This provides the greatest transparency while also taking the ability to vote on future raises out of the hands of councilmembers,” Maxwell said. “Unlike the Board of Supervisors, City Councilmembers don’t earn a pension or any kind of retirement, a fact that will still hold true even if this proposal passes.”

The raises would take effect when a councilmember starts a new term. Councilwoman-elect Annalisa Perea, and councilmen Miguel Arias, Luis Chavez and Nelson Esparza could be the first to benefit. They all won their election in June and take office (or will be sworn in for a second term) in January.

Bredefeld is in his second and final term and would not see a raise. Soria is termed out. Maxwell and Karbassi would benefit from the pay increase if they win re-election in 2024.


Also in Politics 101…

  • Pay raise would benefit the mayor as well.
  • The last raise was only four years ago.
  • Who made the most budget motions?

Mayor Would Get Pay Bump, Too

The mayor and city council president would also receive raises if the plan is approved.

The mayor’s salary — currently at $130,000 — would be tied to the city council and earn a multiple of just over 160% of that rate. That would bump up the next mayor’s salary to $219,447.

A 2020 report from The San Francisco Standard said only the mayors of San Francisco and Los Angeles would earn more than Fresno’s mayor.

Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is not convinced this is the best plan.

“I am concerned with the message this will send to our employees as well as our tax payers, as the raises are significant. I think a more moderate approach should be taken that provides annual pay raises similar to that of employees,” Dyer told GV Wire after this story first published.

The city council president, who normally earns $5,000 more than the other councilmembers, would have salary tied to the chairman of the Board of Supervisors. The chair earns 12.5% more than his or her colleagues. The current rate is $151,925.

Last Raised Four Years Ago

The Fresno City Council last gave itself a raise in 2018. In a 5-2 vote, salaries went from $65,000 to $80,000, a 23% increase. Current councilmembers Garry Bredefeld, Luis Chavez and Esmeralda Soria voted in favor.

The last raise prior to 2018 was 2006.

Arias: A Budget Man in Motion

During the first stage of Fresno’s budget hearings, the city council made 75 motions on how to spend $1.7 billion.

Miguel Arias made the most of any councilmember, offering 22 motions. They range from eliminating entry fees at city regional parks, to a funding mechanism for Advance Peace.

The city council is scheduled to vote on the motions at Thursday’s meeting. A final vote on the budget is scheduled for June 30.

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David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

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