Hayden Lake approves $1M budget

HAYDEN LAKE — The Hayden Lake City Council approved the city's 2024 budget Tuesday totaling just under $1 million.

The approved budget increased the mayor’s and city council members' salaries and will raise property taxes by 3%.

The Mayor's salary will jump from $200 to $600 per month starting Jan. 1, 2024. The council members’ salaries will go from $100 to $200 per month.

“The current compensation of the mayor and council was last increased in 2001,” according to city ordinance No. 309. “Based on recent research performed by city staff, such compensation is extremely low compared to neighboring municipalities. The next-closest based on compensation levels is Dalton Gardens, where the compensation for the mayor and council exceeds that of Hayden Lake by approximately 417%. Furthermore, the current annual compensation of $2,400 for the mayor and $1,200 for a councilperson is completely inadequate given the time and effort that is involved with serving in these positions.”

West asked the council members to increase her salary by $6.87 per hour to $38.50. She also requested deputy clerk Laura Carmean-Stafford’s salary be increased by $3.80 to $25 per hour.

But even with those raises, the salary budget for 2024 will still fall by almost $11,000 from 2023. That's largely due to eliminating a part-time police officer's salary.

Staff salary changes would include cost of living, industry leveling and merit adjustments to bring staff salaries closer to state averages. According to the minutes from the special meeting where raises were discussed, the average hourly rate for a clerk and treasurer would be $44.12.

Those raises would go into effect at the beginning of the budget year in October.

West’s job description has also changed. She’s taken on code enforcement from the city, gotten additional certifications, and will move from second director to first director for the Idaho City Clerks, Treasurers, and Finance Officers Association.

“The rate sets were from in 2021, so I’m just trying to get us closer to what the average was in 2021,” West said.

West is also in the process of trying to bring several things in the City Hall up to date, like a sound system to replace tape recorders for meetings.

Her deputy clerk also has more responsibility and will receive additional training, West said.

Property tax revenue in Hayden Lake will increase by 3% in the 2024 budget, which could affect homeowners.

The city will also send letters to property owners who offer short-term rentals without permits. West believes many are unaware of the city’s process to apply for permits.

The 2024 budget reflects roughly $3,000 in projected revenue from short-term permits.

Fines from police were originally projected to increase from $1,112 in 2023 to $8,000 in 2024, but that line item was dropped to zero based on early discussions.

*This article has been updated to reflect a correction. An earlier draft linked the part-time police salary to grant funding.