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Home My WebLink AboutIR 012 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-012 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 1, 2022 Page 1 of 3 i i7 Y SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STAFFING AND OPERATING BUDGETS IN rrn PEER CITIES This Informal Report provides an overview of city council funding and resources for six of Fort Worth's peer cities: San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, El Paso, Arlington, and Plano. The table below summarizes the compensation and staffing levels for these peer cities, as well as how much each department budgets for Operating and Maintenance (O&M) expenditures. Council Other City Council Member Council Department O&M Population Members Compensation Aides Positions Budget San Antonio 1,434,625 10 $45,722 Yes- Not APs 89 $ 2,457,254 Dallas 1,304,379 14 60,000 Yes-APs 16 403,300 Austin 961,855 10 81,535 Yes- Not APs 59 850,337 El Paso 678,815 8 45,300 Yes-APs 7 183,305 Arlington 394,266 8 2,400 No 4 39,105 Plano 285,494 7 12,000 No 2 103,807 Fort Worth 1 918,915 8 1 25,000 1 Yes-APs 1 7 1 171,714 The information in this summary table is broken down in the sections below. For comparison, each of Fort Worth's eight council districts has an O&M budget of approximately $10,000, while the Mayor's Office has an O&M budget of $92,000. These amounts mostly cover expenses for cell phones and trainings/workshops. San Antonio In addition to their annual stipend of $45,722, each of San Antonio's 11 offices of elected officials (10 council districts + mayor) receives approximately $675,000 for personnel services. These funds are used to pay for up to 7.5 Full-Time Equivalents (FTE) per office, which includes council aides, chiefs of staff, policy directors, etc. In addition to their salary, support staff receive full benefits including health insurance, IRA contributions, and vehicle/parking/phone stipends. These FTEs, currently numbered at 71, are considered temporary positions and their incumbents are not counted as city employees. In addition to the 71 staff members mentioned above, the Mayor and Council Department includes an additional 18 FTE's acting in various support roles. In total, there are 89 positions supporting San Antonio's Mayor and City Council. San Antonio's O&M budget of$2,457,254 provides each office of elected officials approximately $220,000 in additional funding, broken down as follows: • $50,000 for a discretionary project fund, which allows council members to provide financial support for community events and education. • $90,000 for the city's allocated expenses (computer equipment, building rental, electricity, etc.) • $55,000 for travel, training, printing, and other services. • $25,000 for meals, office supplies, software, and other commodities. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-012 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 1, 2022 Page 2 of 3 i i7 Y SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STAFFING AND OPERATING BUDGETS IN rrn PEER CITIES Dallas Dallas's Mayor and City Council Department includes communication and public engagement functions, although 16 positions are committed to supporting the city council. These positions include 14 city council liaisons, a department manager, and a department director. Each district also has a council aide, which is included as an approved position/city employee. In addition to each council member's $60,000 stipend, the department provides approximately $26,900 in O&M expenses per council member and mayor: • $16,000 for travel, training, printing, and other services. • $8,000 for meals, office supplies, software, and other commodities. • $2,900 for the city's allocated expenses (computer equipment, building rental, electricity, etc.) Austin Each of Austin's ten council members receives an annual stipend of $81,535, as well as 5 FTEs to create a support staff. The support staffs mostly consist of a chief of staff, policy advisors, and communication liaison positions. Including the mayor's staff of 9 FTEs, the department totals 59 support staff positions, all of whom are city employees. Council aides, which are optional, and council members are counted as temporary staff. Austin's O&M budget of$850,337 provides each office about $77,000 in additional funding: • $28,000 for travel, training, printing, and other services. • $17,000 for meals, office supplies, software, and other commodities. • $32,000 for the city's allocated expenses (computer equipment, building rental, electricity, etc.) El Paso The eight council members in El Paso each receive approximately $45,300 annually. However, the exact amount changes every year, since it is based on the median household income in El Paso. In addition to council aides, the department includes seven support staff positions: four administrative assistants, a chief of staff, a secretary, and a public affairs specialist. Council members, their aides, and the mayor are all full-time city employees. El Paso's O&M budget of$183,305 provides each office about $20,000 in additional funding: • $5,000 for travel, training, printing, and other services. • $5,000 for meals, office supplies, software, and other commodities. • $10,000 for community service projects within each member's district. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 22-012 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 1, 2022 Page 3 of 3 i i7 Y SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STAFFING AND OPERATING BUDGETS IN rrn PEER CITIES Arlington Arlington's eight council members receive $200 a month, or $2,400 annually. Arlington city council members do not have aides/assistants, although four positions support their functions. These positions include two council coordinators, one council assistant, and one executive assistant to Mayor and Council. The O&M budget for Arlington's Mayor and Council division provides about $4,900 a year for each council member. However, these amounts mostly cover meals and travel. Council members have no discretionary funding for projects and events. Plano Plano's seven council members receive $1,000 a month, or $12,000 annually. Plano city council members do not have aides, although two executive administrative positions support the mayor and city council. The O&M budget for Plano's City Council department provides nearly $13,000 a year for O&M expenditures. However, these amounts mostly cover meals, travel, and supplies. Council members have no discretionary funding for projects and events. If you have any questions, please contact Mark McAvoy, Director, Planning and Data Analytics Department, at (817) 392-6222. David Cooke City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS