The Gist
Home

Ballot question

City of Bellingham Proposition 2026-06: salary commission to set the mayor's salary (charter amendment)

On the ballot in
City of Bellingham
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

Proposed Charter Amendment Proposition 2026-06 would make a salary commission responsible for setting the Mayor's salary. This amendment would change the Charter's requirements concerning the Mayor's salary. Currently, the Charter provides that the Mayor's salary should at no time be less than that of the highest paid City official or employee. This amendment would delete that requirement and instead assign responsibility for setting the Mayor's salary to the City's independent salary commission, which was established by ordinance to periodically review and fix the salaries of City Council members. Should this amendment be enacted into law?

A “Yes” vote means

The City's salary commission would set the mayor's salary, and the charter rule that the mayor be paid no less than the highest-paid city official or employee would be removed.

A “No” vote means

The charter would keep requiring that the mayor's salary be no less than that of the highest-paid city official or employee.

Official plain English statement

This proposed Charter amendment would change the process for setting the Mayor's salary. Currently, the Charter requires that "the Mayor's salary should at no time be less than that of the highest paid City official or employee." The City negotiates and sets salaries for employees, including department heads, based on market factors related to recruitment and retention. Increases in salaries for City employees that are driven by the market automatically increase the Mayor's salary. This amendment would remove the requirement that the Mayor's salary be the highest salary in the City and assign the responsibility for determining the Mayor's salary to an independent salary commission. The City's salary commission was established by ordinance to periodically review and fix the salaries for members of the City Council. The City's salary commission provides an established public process for reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting the salaries for Council members. This proposed change would have the City's salary commission review and fix the salary of the Mayor. Whatcom County has an independent salary commission to review and fix salaries for elected officials at Whatcom County. The State of Washington also has a citizens' commission on salaries for elected officials.

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.