Citrus Heights Council votes to forward stipends from regional boards to city’s general fund

By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council voted unanimously to request that all stipends received from all regional boards and commissions be deposited into the city’s general fund.

In addition to serving on the council, city council members represent Citrus Heights on various regional boards and committees throughout Sacramento County. Each board or commission provides a stipend to each council member for their service, typically ranging from $100 to $200 per meeting. Most regional boards and commissions meet once a month, four times per year, or three times per year. The Sacramento Regional Transit Board and the Sacramento Area Sewer District meet twice a month.

In April 2024, the City Council approved an increase in the monthly salary for council members from $600 to $1,900, which became effective in December 2024, following the results of the November 2024 general election. $1,900 represents the maximum amount that City Council members are allotted based on the city’s population. The council member monthly salary amount had not been increased since the city’s incorporation, according to the city.

The request to examine the legality of total monetary compensation received by council members was brought forward by two councilmembers during the March 12 City Council meeting.

In their research, the city found that according to Government Code Section 36516(c), “legislative body members may receive compensation in excess of the maximum compensation limit only if the additional compensation is authorized by a separate statute,” the city noted in a staff report.

To comply with legal regulations, the city proposed that stipend funds from two of the boards that did not establish stipends by separate statutes, Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission and Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), be forwarded to the city for deposit into the general fund.

During the April 9 City Council meeting, Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa expressed concern that the county might at some point require repayment of all stipends received, stating that she may have to “write a big check.” Karpinski-Costa supported transferring all stipend funds into the general fund, instead of only stipends from SACOG and the Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission. Karpinski-Costa noted that the City of Sacramento had adopted a similar approach. All fellow councilmembers agreed and unanimously approved the motion.

Assigned councilmembers who attend all meetings throughout the year receive an estimated total of $480 annually from attending Sacramento Metropolitan Cable Television Commission meetings, $1,200 annually from attending SACOG meetings, $2,000 annually from Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District meetings, and $2,400 annually from Sacramento Regional Transit Board and Sacramento Area Sewer District meetings, assuming no meetings are missed or canceled. A full list of regional boards and commissions, meeting frequency, and stipend amounts for each councilmember is available in the agenda packet.