OTHELLO - A five-person commission will examine the salaries of Othello's mayor and councilmembers.

The city council approved an ordinance establishing a salary commission. The commission can suggest what the salaries for the city's elected officials are.

The mayor presently receives $500 a month and councilmembers receive $250 a month. The pay is not connected to how many meetings the councilmembers or mayor attend, City Administrator Ehman Sheldon said.

The salaries for the mayor and councilmembers haven't changed since 1996.

State law allows the city to create the commission, according to city records.

Mayor Tim Wilson learned about the commission idea from Quincy Mayor Jim Hemberry during a Association of Washington Cities meeting for elected officials, he said.

"It's becoming more used around communities," he said. "The mayor will pick five members to be on the council."

The five-person commission would be made up of city residents, according to the ordinance. None of the people can be a city officer, official or employee. Siblings, children and dependent relatives of city officers, officials or employees wouldn't be allowed to be on the commission.

None of the commissioners can serve more than two consecutive terms, according to the ordinance.

Councilmember Ken Caylor questioned how the commission would determine whether the elected officials pay would increase.

City Attorney Katherine Kenison pointed out the purpose of the state law was to remove the councilmembers from deciding on their salaries.

"Once you approve the ordinance, and you confirm the mayor's appointments of the five commissioners, then you have no further authority over or active role in overseeing how they conduct their review; (or) what they use to determine the appropriate salary recommendation that they come back with," she said.

When the commission returns with a proposal, the councilmembers can either accept it or reject it, Kenison said. If they accept it, they can't change any of the recommendation.

"That's the only way the council is completely removed from the process," she said.

The ordinance passed unanimously. All the councilmembers were present.