SAN ANTONIO – City Council aides could see a pay bump after their bosses approved $79,116 more for each district in the 2020 fiscal year.
The money, which was already included in the budget, will go toward council aide pay and benefits in the 10 council districts and the mayor’s office. The council also approved increasing the number of allowed full-time positions from seven to seven-and-a-half.
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The ordinance also includes a list of recommended position titles and pay ranges, but it is up to each council member to structure his or her office. It does not change the aides’ benefits, which are still under study.
The ordinance set a minimum wage for council aides at $15 per hour. No council aide can be paid more than $116,737 for the 2020 fiscal year.
The vote passed unanimously as part of the consent agenda.
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Council aides are contract employees who work only for their individual council members.
District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino submitted a Council Consideration Request in August 2019 to consider “Equitable Council Aide Compensation.” Council aides’ pay and benefits, he said, have historically “paled in comparison to City of San Antonio departments/employees who perform comparable jobs.”
After his request, an ad hoc committee was formed to see how the aides’ compensation stacked up against City of San Antonio workers and council aides in other cities.
District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha-Garcia, who was chairwoman of the committee released a statement following the vote, praising its work.
“The approved recommendations will serve as guidelines and help Councilmembers (sic) navigate the process of creating a team that is equipped and prepared to meet the duties and responsibilities of each district,” Rocha-Garcia said in the statement.
During this process, an anonymous group of City Council aides also alleged possible labor law violations and requested mediation with the city.
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The request for mediation came in the form of an Oct. 29 letter from an attorney representing the group, Javier Espinoza. At the heart of the letter are claims that the aides are, incorrectly, not paid overtime and do not receive pay and benefits comparable to city employees.
A city spokeswoman said the city has had initial discussions with Espinoza, but there has been no mediation.