For Immediate Release
July 11, 2022
Contact: Mike Shaffer, mshaffer@dccouncil.us or (202) 724-8105

Councilmember Christina Henderson Introduces Legislation to Create Compensation Review Commission  

Washington DC – Today, Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced the Commission on Public Compensation Establishment Amendment Act of 2022. This legislation would establish a Commission on Public Compensation to review and make recommendations on the compensation and stipend levels for the members of Council of the District Columbia, the Mayor, the Attorney General, the members of the State Board of Education, and several public commissions and boards.

"The compensation levels for the District’s elected officials, boards, and commissions are established by statute and are reviewed and adjusted on an ad hoc basis. Although the DC Council passed legislation in 2006 to establish an Advisory Council to look at the compensation levels for the Mayor and Council, based on review of the records, it was never active," said Henderson. "And the last time the District attempted to engage in a comprehensive study of the compensation and stipend levels of the District’s boards and commissions was in 2002. It is time we get this right and really engage in this conversation. If we want to continue to be able to recruit great people to serve in roles on important boards like the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board or the Public Employee Relations Board, we should ensure individuals are being appropriately compensated for their work," Henderson continued.

Many states including Maryland, Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington use some type of compensation commissions to inform the salaries set for elected and judicial officials. Currently, there are 21 boards and commissions in the District where members receive either compensation or a stipend for their work. However, some have argued that others like Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, which are elected, should be included among that group. Part of the charge of this Commission on Public Compensation will be to consider this and recommend to the Council an appropriate stipend level, if any.The Commission is structured to work over the course of a year and provide a report of recommendations to the Council and Mayor in time for recommendations to be considered and incorporated into the Fiscal Year 2025 (effective October 1, 2024) budget and financial plan.

The Commission on Public Compensation Establishment Amendment Act of 2022 is co-introduced by Councilmembers Brianne K. Nadeau, Mary M. Cheh, Vincent C. Gray, Kenyan R. McDuffie, Anita Bonds, and Janeese Lewis George. Councilmember Brooke Pinto is a co-sponsor.

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