WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — The Warner Robins City Council has voted to double the salary for city council members, they announced at their meeting on Monday, Oct. 21.
According to the proposal, the salary bump would go into effect in during January 2026. It would raise salaries for city council members from $10,000 - their current mark - to $20,000.
This proposed salary increase was also the subject of discussion at a Warner Robins city council meeting earlier in the month, according to prior 13WMAZ reporting.
"The amount that our council makes, $10,000 a year, is extremely, extremely low from what our council makes across the state," Mayor LaRhonda Patrick said at the meeting
Patrick said that a potential salary increase had been a topic of discussion for a while now, especially since many surrounding counties in Central Georgia paid their employees more.
According to city code for Johns Creek and Albany, their leaders make $15,000 a year, while leaders in Roswell make $18,000 a year.
At the council meeting earlier in October, several Warner Robins citizens spoke out against the raise during the public forum. They said they felt that money might be better served in other ways.
Council members said they heard those concerns, and they understood where the citizens were coming from.
"We have always been very frugal and very responsible with our city's money. We were able to do the raises without raising taxes so when we do something we think about it long and hard," Councilman Keith Lauritsen said.
The council last considered a raise for council members in 2019, and Lauritsen opposed that vote. Now, he was in favor of the salary increase.
By the time the potential raises would be implemented in 2026, three council seats will be up for election.