Soddy-Daisy city commissioners are set to vote Thursday on whether to provide compensation for the mayor and commissioners, who now serve as volunteers. If approved, the city would become one of five Hamilton County municipalities that pays its elected officials.
Compensation for elected officials serving on the governing bodies of Hamilton County and its 10 municipalities ranges from nothing to about $192,200 annually for the mayors of Hamilton County and the city of Chattanooga.
The proposed pay structure for the Soddy-Daisy Board of Commissioners is $500 per month for the mayor and $450 for the commissioners, according to an email from City Manager Burt Johnson. The pay would not start until after the November 2024 election, and no board member receives health insurance from the city, he said.
Soddy-Daisy has a population of 13,200, according to 2022 U.S. census data, and a budget of about $13.3 million, Johnson said. The commissioners generally meet twice a month, sometimes attending additional work sessions regarding matters like the city budget.
To determine an appropriate amount to pay the city’s commissioners, Johnson said he asked officials of Hamilton County municipalities of similar size what compensation members of their governing bodies receive. Johnson chose to use the same compensation received by Collegedale’s officials when drafting the Soddy-Daisy ordinance, which passed unanimously on first reading earlier this month.