HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0004) IR 22-012 - City Council Staffing and Operating Budgets in Peer CitiesINFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 22-012
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council February 1, 2022
r Page 1 of 3
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SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STAFFING AND OPERATING BUDGETS IN
r„a 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.
City
Population
Council
Members
Council
Member
Compensation
Council
Aides
Other
Department
Positions
O&M
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
ElPaso
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
918,915
8
25,000
Yes - APs
7
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
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SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STAFFING AND OPERATING BUDGETS IN
rrA 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
° �d
Page 3 of 3
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SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STAFFING AND OPERATING BUDGETS IN
rrA 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