COEUR d’ALENE — The salaries of City Council members and the mayor of Coeur d’Alene will be going up.

Council positions will be paid $15,000 annually, effective Jan. 1, 2024, up from $12,000, while the mayor will receive $38,400, up from $32,400.

Both will also receive annual cost-of-living raises.

The increases were unanimously approved by the council during Tuesday’s regular meeting in the Library Community Room.

“This is meant to keep us on a track moving forward,” said Councilwoman Christie Wood.

The City Council last received a pay hike in 2017, and the mayor, in 2009.

“I’ve always said public officials should be compensated well,” said Councilman Dan Gookin.

He said members of Congress are “grossly underpaid.”

“It’s like a $5 million a year job, but they don’t get paid that. I always think people that work in the public sector should get paid what they're worth,” he said.

Gookin said the mayor’s new salary of $38,400 “is low.”

“I like that there’s an escalator in there,” he said.

The cost-of-living raises will be based on what is negotiated for exempt staff members.

Still, Gookin voted against the raises.

“In this case, I can be selfish. I don’t need the money,” Gookin said.

Councilman Dan English asked Gookin to consider voting yes for the people who will be in office next year.

He said Gookin could donate the additional pay to the library or the parks department.

"You get a tax write-off, too,” English said.

The seats of English, Gookin and Wood all expire Jan. 2, 2024.

Council members Kiki Miller, Amy Evans and Woody McEvers are scheduled to hold their seats until Jan. 6, 2026.

Mayor Jim Hammond, who was elected to a four-year term in November 2021, said he was concerned that people qualified to serve as elected officials can’t afford to do so because it means taking time from their own businesses and they actually lose money.

“We shouldn’t be reticent to pay more," Hammond said.

Idaho legislators receive a little more than $19,000 a year thanks to a scheduled raise hike on Dec. 1.

“It’s quite a sacrifice,” Hammond said.

He noted that he is retired, so the mayor’s salary was not a big issue for him. But it could be for others who might serve the city well.

“In trying to recruit people, we need to compensate them for their time and be aware of that,” Hammond said.