Whitefish City Council on Monday will decide whether it should get paid.  

Following a public hearing, Council is set to vote on whether the mayor and city councilors should receive an annual salary and stipend for service. Council does not currently receive a salary but is eligible for some benefits.  

The estimated cost of compensation for elected officials is about $128,000. 

City Council meets at 7:10 p.m. at City Hall, 418 E. Second St. 

Under a proposed plan, the mayor would get an annual salary of about $14,000, an annual stipend of $6,000 and a WAVE membership valued at $588 for a total compensation package of about $20,000. Councilors would receive the same annual salary and WAVE members, along with a stipend of $3,000 for a total of about $17,000.  

Officials would also be able to opt-in to the city’s health insurance at their own cost.  

Benefits received now by Council include reimbursement up to $500 to purchase an electronic device each term served, reimbursement of $150 per quarter for use of a personal cell phone, a WAVE membership and the option for health insurance.  

Voters in November 2024 approved an update of the city’s charter allowing for Council to receive compensation. Council has since held work sessions on the matter, looking at options in other cities, including Kalispell and Columbia Falls.  

Some have suggested that providing a salary might attract people who wouldn’t otherwise seek public office. While detractors have asked that Whitefish follow its historic route of volunteer service.  

ALSO ON the agenda, Council is poised to adopt the preliminary budget for fiscal year 2026 at a total of $58 million. The proposed budget is an increase of about $4.8 million over the previous year as a result of personnel and overall operating costs.  

Council will look at a request for an extension of the preliminary plat for Big Mountain River subdivision, which is a 20-unit townhouse development on 2.4 acres on West Second Street along the Whitefish River.  

The preliminary plat was approved in 2020, and Council granted a 24-month extension that is set to expire this year. The developer is requesting a second 24-month extension due to unforeseen delays in construction, contractor and labor availability, and market conditions.  

Council will consider whether to accept Merganser Court and Harlequin Court as city streets. The roads in the Tamarack Ridge subdivision were platted as private and, being only 20 feet wide, do not conform to city engineering standards for public roads, although they are open to the public.  

Last year, a resident of the subdivision contacted the city about accepting the roadways, excluding the sidewalks, drainage ditches and a pump house that would continue to be maintained by the homeowners association.  

After a failed motion to deny the request at a February meeting, Council chose to postpone the discussion to a meeting when more Council members could be present.  

The annual snowplowing and maintenance cost for the roads is estimated at $5,390. While revenue may pay for a portion or all of that, it would not cover an anticipated overlay in about 10 years, estimated at $120,000, according to Public Works Director Craig Workman. 

Workman didn’t provide a recommendation to Council on the decision but cautioned on setting a precedent of changing roadways after final plat, especially those that do not meet the public roadway standards.  

“Doing so will undoubtedly lead to future requests from other subdivisions with private roads,” Workman said in a memo to Council.  

DURING A work session at 5:30 p.m., the Whitefish Community Housing Committee will present a recommendation to evaluate minimum lot sizes in the city’s zoning code.  

“Allowing a reduction in minimum lot size may encourage more ownership housing that is attainable to people who work in Whitefish,” said Tammy Zamoyski, long-range planner, in a memo to Council.  

Current zoning regulations allow a minimum lot size ranging from 42,560 square feet to 6,000 square feet, depending on the zone. Single family lots of significantly smaller size also exist within city limits, Zamoyski points out for example, some lots downtown are as small as 1,655 square feet, while in one newer subdivision, the range is from 2,478 to 3,760 square feet.  

The committee generally favors reducing lot sizes across every zoning district and thus is seeking direction from Council to research implementation methods as the city updates its growth policy.  

Deputy Editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or [email protected].