Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp’s salary rose 2% after the 2024 county budget passed last month — setting off a series of salary dominoes that will end up giving more than 30 elected officials a commensurate bump in pay.
Because of provisions in state law and the Chattanooga city charter, increases in the county mayor’s salary trigger increases for 11 county commissioners, 11 county school board members, nine city council members and the city mayor.
The county mayor’s annual salary is now $196,100, up from $192,200. The city mayor’s salary was the same and received the same increase.
City Council member pay rose from $28,800 per year to $29,400. County commissioner pay rose from $27,200 to $27,700. And school board member pay grew from $13,600 to $13,900.
The raises have been stairstepping up for years, whenever the county mayor gets a raise. Pay for the county mayor’s position has increased nearly 20 percent in the past seven years, according to public records.