Letter: Mayor/Council compensation

The voters and non-voters of the City of Tucson should be ashamed of the defeat of the proposition to raise Mayor and Council compensation. A simple calculation of the current compensation for council members reveals that they are working for less than the minimum wage in our city of $12.15 per hour. The number of hours in a work year is generally considered to be 2080 hours; dividing that into their current $24,000 annual salary reveals that council members are paid approximately $11.54 per hour - less than minimum wage. Part of the argument is that council positions are considered to be part time; ask any council member if that is true. A similar argument can be made for the Mayor's compensation. While it is true that compensation is not a motivating factor for individuals seeking public office, we should acknowledge and be respectful of the time and effort that they devote in studying and addressing the many difficult issues that face our city.