Compensation Decisions on Hold: Lock Haven’s Future Elected Officials Face Potential Pay Revision

By Emily Wright

LOCK HAVEN— The Lock Haven City Council is poised to review the salaries for future elected officials, as dictated by the Third Class City Code. Currently, the mayor’s salary is $4,800 annually, while council members receive $3,600, figures that have been unchanged since 2013. When adjusted for inflation, these amounts would equal $6,576 for the mayor and $4,932 for council members.

 

City Manager Greg Wilson explained that while discussions about elected officials’ compensation usually occur every other year, it has been some time since the last review. “Under the Third Class City Code, the council has the ability to examine and set the wages for future city-elected officials,” he noted. Those elected officials include both the council members as well as the mayor. Any salary adjustments would take effect for council members starting their terms in 2026 or later and for the mayor beginning a term in 2028, meaning that the current officials’ salaries would remain the same.

 

Wilson noted that in 1978, the annual salaries were set at $1,800 for the mayor and $1,200 for council members, which would be equivalent to $9,000 and $6,000 today, adjusted for inflation.

 

When considering compensation for the city’s elected officials, the council can also opt to receive payment based on their attendance at public meetings rather than receiving a fixed annual salary.

 

Wilson mentioned that although no statements about the matter from the council were required during Monday night’s meeting, any adjustments must be finalized by March 24, 2025, coinciding with the deadline for candidates to withdraw from elections.

 

Mayor Joel Long clarified the purpose behind the deadline to make adjustments to compensation, stating, “The intention is that anyone that would be interested in running for these seats deserves to know what the compensation is before they decide to do that,” he said before adding, “You wouldn’t be voting on a raise for yourself; it’s for the group that would get elected down the road.” 

 

Wilson noted that any adjustments the council may decide to implement wouldn’t affect the 2025 budget, as they wouldn’t take effect until February 2026. These changes would only apply to the three newly elected city council members. The mayor and the remaining four council members wouldn’t see any pay changes until the 2028 budget is finalized.

 

Although the council did not indicate plans to take action at Monday night’s meeting, Wilson offered to add the discussion to a future meeting agenda if they decide to explore it further.

 

The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 20, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. Meetings take place at City Hall in the Council Chambers and are also live-streamed on the city’s YouTube page. To watch the meeting live online, visit www.youtube.com/@cityoflockhavenpa1348/streams.