Metro Council Salaries May Jump 54 Percent

NASHVILLE, TN — The 2019 batch of Metro Council members may be paid 54 percent more than the current 40 under a proposal included in Mayor Megan Barry's budget.

Council members currently make $15,000 annually, a salary set in 2003. Under Barry's proposal, that would jump to $23,100 after the 2019 elections. According to the Consumer Price Index, $15,000 in 2003 has the same buying power as $20,100 today. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

The budget also calls for increasing the vice-mayor's salary from $17,000 to $25,320. Both the council and vice-mayor are considered part-time positions.

"It's been 14 years, and it will end up being 16 years, since increases in salary for council members," Vice Mayor David Briley told The Tennessean. "This really just keeps up with inflation. As it stands, the mayor makes more than 10 times the council members.

"It just seems to be a fair way to compensate the elected representatives of the city. The city's gotten a lot more complicated in the last 16 years and there's a lot more work for council members to do."

Barry's budget also includes a 2 percent increase for Metro employees this year and 3 percent next year and the year after.

The Metro Council rejected its own pay increase in 2014.