How much do Utah mayors make?

Most mayors in Utah are only part-time and their salaries and benefits vary widely from city to city. For instance, West Valley City Mayor Karen Lang makes more than $46,000 in wages and $21,000 in benefits. South Jordan Mayor Dawn Ramsey is also a part-time mayor but makes $125,000 in wages and $42,813 in benefits. Among the highest paid mayors is Ogden’s Mike Caldwell who earns $221,378 in wages and benefits. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall makes $197,110.

Why is there such a wide range of salaries for Utah mayors, even in comparably similar cities?

The difference typically lies in the forms of government in each city. In Utah, a city is either a “strong-mayor” or a “council-manager” system. In cities with a strong-mayor system, the mayor typically gets paid more. About a dozen Utah cities are strong-mayor cities, including Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sandy.

What do strong-mayor and council-manager mean and what’s the difference?

In strong-mayor cities, the mayor heads the executive branch and the city council works as a legislative body. This is similar to how the state government is run, with a governor’s office and the Legislature as coequal branches. In council-manager cities, the mayor acts as another member of the city council and the main duties of running the city fall to a city manager.

What are city managers paid?

West Valley City’s City Manager Wayne Pyle made $367,011 in wages and benefits in 2022. The acting city manager of Orem Brenn Bybee makes $259,085 in wages and benefits.

Which system is better for a city and its residents?

There is a lot of debate over which form of city government and management is best. One argument for the council-manager system is that a city manager is professionally trained in all aspects of city management. However, a city manager is not an elected official, and therefore is not answerable to the public but rather to the city council.

Do governments ever change systems?

It’s rare for cities to change their system of governance and management, but it has happened. Most recently, West Jordan switched to a strong-mayor system, with Dirk Burton as the first mayor under that system. He makes $108,800 in wages and $45,769 in benefits.

How can I find out how much my mayor makes?

You can visit https://transparent.utah.gov/empdet.php to look up your mayor’s salary.

[Read More: What do mayors in Utah get paid? And why?]