Charlottesville City Council had a jam-packed meeting on August 5, covering everything from affordable housing efforts to potential salary increases for councilors.
Earlier this year, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation, introduced by Charlottesville-area Del. Katrina Callsen, which allows city councils to increase compensation for their members. Currently, Charlottesville city councilors receive a salary of $18,000 annually, with the mayor’s salary slightly higher at $20,000. Under the proposed ordinance, councilors’ pay would increase to $34,000 and the mayor’s to $37,000, effective July 1, 2026.
Discussion by council showed support from a majority, with the sole dissent coming from Councilor Lloyd Snook.
“I think at a time when we are raising taxes on basically every tax we could raise this past year, it’s certainly not good politics and probably not wise more broadly for us to take the most full advantage of what the General Assembly has done,” said Snook. “If we want to be really honest with ourselves, … if we’re looking to keep pace with inflation … raise it to $22,500 for councilors and $25,000 for the mayor.”
The rest of the city council spoke in support of the ordinance.
“I disagree with the fundamental proposition that the original salary, when it was set way back in the dark ages, was anywhere close to what it should have been,” said Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston.
Pinkston and the councilors in favor of the salary increase also cited the potential for a pay improvement to allow more people the financial opportunity to serve on council.
“The thing about this role, and the reason I love it, is that you’re always carrying the city around with you in your heart and your mind,” said Pinkston. “I will wholeheartedly and enthusiastically vote for this without any shame whatsoever.”
Councilors Michael Payne and Natalie Oschrin echoed Pinkston’s points.
“There’s an idea that [this] could be a fully part-time volunteer legislature, but with the complexity of local government, I think it’s more akin to a second job,” said Payne. “I have talked to people who thought about running for office. … Financially, it wouldn’t be feasible for them.”
“More people should be able to do this and the money help[s] make it more accessible to more folks by voting for this increase,” said Oschrin. “We’re not voting necessarily on our own salaries. We’re voting on the salaries of the next incoming councilors.”
Mayor Juandiego Wade also weighed in on the potential salary increase: “I think it’s one of the most significant things that I can do as an individual councilor to increase the diversity on this board.”
While he is able to take time off of work for council obligations, Wade highlighted how that is not a reality for a significant number of potential council members.
Constituents were divided on the salary ordinance.
“This is one of the single most important things that you guys can do to help us become a more equitable city going forward,” said one public commenter in favor of the pay raise. “If people can’t afford to live in this town, they can’t serve on council—it’s that simple. … I would like as broad of a spectrum [as possible] of people from our population to be able to afford to serve. … There’s a reason why our general assembly is largely composed of doctors and lawyers, and no disrespect to them, but I don’t feel that that is a proportional representation of the people in our Commonwealth.”
Another speaker was decidedly against the measure. “It is completely unfathomable to me that you all would sit with the possibility of discussing a pay raise tonight—not just any pay raise, [but] a pay raise somewhere 88 to 89 percent over where you currently are,” he said. “You are actually going to sit and vote on this subject when just outside your door there are homeless people that need to be addressed.”
The vote on the ordinance increasing city councilors’ salaries is scheduled for the next council meeting on August 19. A second public hearing will be held at that time.
Another major development at the council meeting was the approval by Piedmont Housing Alliance and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville Area of city funds going toward the offer on Carlton Mobile Home Park.
With this financing, PHA and Habitat were able to proceed with a $7.25 million offer on the park before the August 6 deadline for consideration.
Under the agreement, the city will not have ownership of any portion of the park if the offer goes through but will assist with the financing of interest and principal payments. In an agreement with residents, Carlton will remain a mobile home park, but the purchase lays the groundwork for eventual redevelopment into deeply affordable housing.
“I want to remind everybody that this is an offer. Our fingers are crossed and hopefully it works out, but it’s not in our hands after today,” said Oschrin. “Part of why I am so supportive of this is that it will be getting redeveloped, and it is not being purchased to freeze in amber. It will become more housing for more people, which is obviously what we need.”
There has been no additional developments on the joint city, PHA, and Habitat offer on Carlton Mobile Home Park at press time.