Novato City Council Triples Monthly Pay

New rate of $1,552 per member aims to attract more diverse candidates and account for increased workload.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 8:49pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of an empty city council chamber, with warm sunlight streaming through the windows and deep shadows cast across the room, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation around the council's decision to raise its pay.The Novato City Council's decision to more than triple its monthly pay reflects an effort to modernize compensation and attract a diverse range of candidates.Novato Today

The Novato City Council voted 4-1 to increase its monthly pay from $400 to $1,552 per member, more than tripling the compensation. The new annual rate of $18,624 is intended to account for inflation, reflect the council's growing workload, and attract a broader range of candidates with varying income levels. The pay hike follows a 2023 state law that allows cities the size of Novato to set a maximum compensation of $1,600 per month for council members.

Why it matters

The pay increase is part of a broader effort to modernize city council compensation and increase candidate diversity for local government roles. Supporters argue the current compensation level creates a barrier to service for many residents, while critics view the more than threefold raise as too large of a jump.

The details

The Novato City Council approved the pay raise in a 4-1 vote, with Councilmember Pat Eklund opposing the increase. The new rate, which goes into effect following the November election, brings the council's pay to 97% of the $1,600 per month maximum allowed under the 2023 state law. City officials say the current compensation is 138% lower than the market median.

  • The council's pay had not been raised since 1988.
  • The new rate will go into effect following the November election.

The players

Novato City Council

The governing body of the city of Novato, California.

Pat Eklund

A Novato City Councilmember who opposed the pay increase.

Eva Hilliard

Novato's 'chief people officer' who said the raise is intended to account for inflation, reflect the workload, and attract a broader range of candidates.

Derek Knell

A former school district trustee who supported the pay increase during the public comment period.

Tim O'Connor

A Novato City Councilmember who noted the current pay structure is a barrier to service for many people.

Rachel Farac

The Novato mayor, who said the pay increase will make it more feasible for parents like herself to serve on the council.

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What they’re saying

“The amount of time we give up in our personal lives dedicated to this type of service is very valuable. So I would certainly encourage you guys to increase your stipend.”

— Derek Knell, Former school district trustee

“I have some concerns about tripling it. To me that's a huge jump.”

— Pat Eklund, Novato City Councilmember

“The current structure is a barrier to service to a lot of people. I think it's hard to justify a wage less than minimum wage for the work we do.”

— Tim O'Connor, Novato City Councilmember

“So a lot of the time if I have to get coverage and stuff, I'm paying out of pocket. I think it'll expand candidates too because it makes it more feasible.”

— Rachel Farac, Novato Mayor

What’s next

The new council pay rate will go into effect following the November election.

The takeaway

This pay increase is part of a broader effort to modernize city council compensation and attract a more diverse pool of candidates to local government roles. While supporters argue the higher pay is necessary to account for inflation and the growing workload, critics view the more than threefold raise as too large of a jump.