Council to Weigh Raises After Voters OK Prop. Y

When the Inglewood City Council meets Nov. 19, members will be getting an added incentive for showing up: a pay raise.

Voters on Tuesday approved a municipal initiative called Proposition Y that could increase by fivefold the salary that council members now earn.

Council members earn $9,696 a year. The mayor is paid $19,392. But the initiative, approved by nearly 60% of the voters, allows council members to increase their salary to $47,252. The mayor can receive up to $94,504.

The council will decide at its next council meeting what kind of raise it will receive.

Ironically, Ed Vincent, mayor of Inglewood since 1982, won’t be getting much of a raise because he won an Assembly seat in this week’s election. He takes office in January, vacating the job he has held for 14 years. A new mayor will be elected in April.

But that leaves four council members who are slated for salary increases--if they pass them. Judy Dunlap and Jose Fernandez oppose the increases while Garland Hardeman and Curren Price support the raises.

“I’m shocked,” said Fernandez. “I thought it would go down in defeat.”

In the past, the council, which serves in a part-time capacity, has been restricted to raising its salary every four years to reflect changes in the cost of living.