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| A recent posting on social media about Melvin Willis’ quest for a new place to live in District 1 evolved into a claim by failed RPA candidate Jamin Purcell that, “the pay for council members is so abusive” and whining that the alleged low pay for City Council members creates, “a financial barrier to entry,” a “method to filter out those who cannot afford the cost of not working in other fields and allows for only those of wealth to enter into city power and give them greater control.”
RPA member Purcell went on to claim, “…it makes it untenable for people unless they are of a certain class of wealth. That creates a stratification within representation in a town where the average income is 45 -50K, if I remember correctly.”
First of all, take a look at what City Council members actually make. The table below is information from Transparent California for 2021. As much as $74,301/year is not bad for attending three City Council meetings a month. Unlike many City Council members in other cities, Richmond RPA City Council members typically do not belong to or participate in regional boards and commissions, except a couple of councilmembers attend WCCTAC meetings once a month and a couple attend periodic West County Agency and West Contra Costa Integrated Waste Management Authority meetings.
Name |
Job Title |
Regular Pay |
Overtime Pay |
Other Pay |
Total Pay |
Benefits |
Total Pay and Benefits |
Melvin Willis |
Councilmember |
$16,830 |
0 |
$3,900 |
$20,730 |
$38,361 |
$59,091 |
Gayle McLaughlin |
Councilmember |
$16,388 |
0 |
$3,900 |
$20,288 |
264 |
$20,552 |
Claudia Jimenez |
Councilmember |
$16,388 |
0 |
$3,900 |
$20,288 |
$54,013 |
$74,301 |
Eduardo Martinez |
Councilmember |
$16,830 |
0 |
$3,960 |
$20,790 |
0 |
$20,790 |
In addition to their City Council compensation:
- Melvin Willis is a full-time employee of ACCE.
- Claudia Jimenez has an undergraduate degree in architecture and a Master’s degree in Environmental Planning from UC Berkeley.
- Eduardo Martinez is retired from the WCCUSD with a full pension and benefits.
- Gayle McLaughlin is retired and receiving benefits from other sources.
Some City Council members also get special breaks in housing costs. According to a recent social media post, Melvin Willis pays $650 a month for rent when the median rent in Richmond is currently $1,795 a month. Claudia Jimenez recently “borrowed” Jeffrey Kilbreth’s $1.2 million house in Point Richmond for eight months as a free place to stay while she was enlarging her own home, a $3,599/month value according to Zillow. |
