Gahanna City Council Enacts Council Salary Adjustment Effective in 2030
The legislation sets council compensation effective in 2030 for ward and at-large members following debate over pension credit and dais equity.
Gahanna City Council has enacted legislation updating council compensation effective Jan. 2, 2030, for ward and at-large members, according to passed municipal legislative records. The measure amends Section 121.03 of the Codified Ordinances and repeals municipal code language last altered in 2006. Gahanna's legislative register formally recorded the ordinance as passed on Oct. 30, following council's vote on Oct. 19.
Gahanna City Hall building exterior at 200 S. Hamilton Rd. in Gahanna, Ohio.
Credit: Sixflashphoto / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Image source
Previously, Pique Media reported on Oct. 6 that Gahanna's mayor resisted a proposed salary increase as council weighed stagnant pay, and reported on Oct. 29 that the mayor opposed the mayoral salary increase as council weighed a charter deadline.
Pension eligibility and retirement safety net
Sponsor Merisa Bowers introduced the council compensation adjustment in the Committee of the Whole on Sept. 14, explaining that the proposal was designed to meet state retirement thresholds. Under state retirement system guidance published Jan. 15, 2026, the monthly OPERS minimum earnable salary is $770.77 to qualify for pension service credit or health care program eligibility. Bowers explained that the nominal pay adjustment creates a retirement safety net for future council members who work as independent contractors, freelancers, or gig workers lacking employer-sponsored retirement plans.
Bowers presented municipal cost estimates showing that approving the proposed increases for all nine elected officials would raise annual costs by approximately $72,000 to $73,000, increasing total compensation costs from approximately $241,000 to $314,000. Bowers noted that because the changes cannot take effect before 2028, the adjustments carry no impact on the upcoming 2027 municipal budget.
Dais equity and the 2030 effective date
The council salary ordinance originally proposed staggered implementation dates, setting an effective date of Jan. 2, 2028, for at-large members and Jan. 2, 2030, for ward members. Vice President Jones supported an amendment making council salary changes effective for all members at the same time, stating that for reasons of equity members should not receive different salaries until their staggered terms aligned. Jones also stated during deliberations that public service should not require elected officials to become martyrs. Gahanna's Committee of the Whole recommended adoption of the substitute amendment on Oct. 12, and council enacted the uniform 2030 effective date on Oct. 19.
Executive veto and the compensation triad
The broader compensation package introduced on Sept. 21 includes companion measures adjusting compensation for the mayor, city attorney, and council members, including an ordinance increasing the city attorney's annual salary from $80,765 per year to $110,000 annually. Mayor Laurie Jadwin delivered a veto message to the Gahanna City Clerk on Oct. 28 rejecting the companion mayoral salary ordinance, having voiced opposition to raising mayoral pay beyond the $103,809 level established in 2011.
Pointing to municipal finances, Jadwin warned that the combined impact of the proposed salary increases would total approximately $306,000 over each four-year term at a time when city revenues face flat projections and major capital needs. While resisting higher pay for the executive post, Jadwin said she believed the city attorney position should receive an increase because of the work and expertise required and because it was a licensed position. Gahanna City Council is scheduled to convene in regular session on Monday, Nov. 2, to address the vetoed mayoral salary measure and decide whether to attempt an override or amend the compensation package.
How we know this
The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
Supporting evidence (3)
Gahanna City Council has enacted legislation updating council compensation effective Jan. 2, 2030, for ward and at-large members, according to passed municipal legislative records.
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ORD-0035-2026 · AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 121.03 OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF GAHANNA, RELATIVE TO THE COUNCIL'S SALARY, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2, 2030, FOR WARD AND AT-LARGE MEMBERS
Gahanna City Council has enacted legislation updating council compensation effective Jan. 2, 2030, for ward and at-large members, according to passed municipal legislative records.
Read supporting passage
{Body=City Council, Content type=Legislation, Document coverage=API text and document metadata; linked PDF bytes are not retained, File=ORD-0035-2026, Legislation type=Ordinance, Municipality=gahanna, Status=Passed, Text version=2}
The measure amends Section 121.03 of the Codified Ordinances and repeals municipal code language last altered in 2006.
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That Section 121.03 - Compensation of Chapter 121 - Council, last amended by Ordinance 0242-2006, or any ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Gahanna Mayor Resists Proposed Salary Increase as Council Weighs Stagnant Pay
Supporting evidence (5)
Previously, Pique Media reported on Oct. 6 that Gahanna's mayor resisted a proposed salary increase as council weighed stagnant pay, and reported on Oct. 29 that the mayor opposed the mayoral salary increase as council weighed a charter deadline.
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Gahanna Mayor Resists Proposed Salary Increase as Council Weighs Stagnant Pay
Bowers noted that because the changes cannot take effect before 2028, the adjustments carry no impact on the upcoming 2027 municipal budget.
The council salary ordinance originally proposed staggered implementation dates, setting an effective date of Jan. 2, 2028, for at-large members and Jan. 2, 2030, for ward members.
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If approved, the mayoral and at-large council salary changes would take effect Jan. 2, 2028, followed by the city attorney on Jan. 3, 2028, and ward council members on Jan. 2, 2030.
Pointing to municipal finances, Jadwin warned that the combined impact of the proposed salary increases would total approximately $306,000 over each four-year term at a time when city revenues face flat projections and major capital needs.
While resisting higher pay for the executive post, Jadwin said she believed the city attorney position should receive an increase because of the work and expertise required and because it was a licensed position.
Read supporting passage
While resisting higher pay for the executive post, Jadwin said she believed the City Attorney position should receive an increase because of the work and expertise required and because it was a licensed position.
Gahanna Mayor Opposes Mayoral Salary Increase as Council Weighs Charter Deadline
Supporting evidence (5)
Previously, Pique Media reported on Oct. 6 that Gahanna's mayor resisted a proposed salary increase as council weighed stagnant pay, and reported on Oct. 29 that the mayor opposed the mayoral salary increase as council weighed a charter deadline.
Read supporting passage
Gahanna Mayor Opposes Mayoral Salary Increase as Council Weighs Charter Deadline
The broader compensation package introduced on Sept. 21 includes companion measures adjusting compensation for the mayor, city attorney, and council members, including an ordinance increasing the city attorney's annual salary from $80,765 per year to $110,000 annually.
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The legislation was introduced on Sept. 21 alongside companion measures to adjust compensation beginning in 2028 for the mayor, city attorney, and council members under the city charter. The broader compensation package includes ORD-0034-2026, which would increase the city attorney's annual salary from $80,765 per year to $110,000 annually, and ORD-0035-2026, which addresses legislative salaries for ward and at-large council members.
Mayor Laurie Jadwin delivered a veto message to the Gahanna City Clerk on Oct. 28 rejecting the companion mayoral salary ordinance, having voiced opposition to raising mayoral pay beyond the $103,809 level established in 2011.
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Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin has officially vetoed legislation that would raise the mayor's salary beginning with the 2028 term, with her veto message delivered to the Gahanna City Clerk on Oct. 28, 2026. The city's legislative filings were updated Oct. 29 to record receipt of the veto, setting the stage for Gahanna City Council's upcoming regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
Mayor Laurie Jadwin delivered a veto message to the Gahanna City Clerk on Oct. 28 rejecting the companion mayoral salary ordinance, having voiced opposition to raising mayoral pay beyond the $103,809 level established in 2011.
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During a Committee of the Whole meeting on Sept. 28, Jadwin voiced direct opposition to boosting mayoral pay beyond the $103,809 level established in 2011.
Gahanna City Council is scheduled to convene in regular session on Monday, Nov. 2, to address the vetoed mayoral salary measure and decide whether to attempt an override or amend the compensation package.
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Gahanna City Council is scheduled to convene in regular session on Nov. 2, 2026, to address the vetoed mayoral salary measure. At that meeting, council members are slated to determine whether to attempt an override or amend the salary package ahead of the 2027 election cycle.
https://perspective.opers.org/minimum-earnable-salary-amounts-increase/
Supporting evidence (1)
Under state retirement system guidance published Jan. 15, 2026, the monthly OPERS minimum earnable salary is $770.77 to qualify for pension service credit or health care program eligibility.
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Jan. 15, 2026 – Minimum earnable salary is the amount that OPERS members must earn each month to qualify for pension service credit, or service credit applicable to health care program eligibility. Your total service credit is a key component of the formula we’ll use to determine your retirement benefit. This year, the monthly OPERS minimum earnable salary is $770.77, up 5% from $734.07 in 2025.
Committee of the Whole · 2026-09-28
Supporting evidence (3)
Bowers presented municipal cost estimates showing that approving the proposed increases for all nine elected officials would raise annual costs by approximately $72,000 to $73,000, increasing total compensation costs from approximately $241,000 to $314,000.
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Councilmember Bowers stated that the file also included a draft estimate of the financial impact of the proposed salary increases. She stated that, if City Council approved the proposed increases for all nine elected officials, the annual cost would increase by approximately $72,000 to $73,000, including benefits. She stated that the current annual cost for all nine elected officials was approximately $241,000 and would increase to approximately $314,000, for a difference of less than $73,000 per year.
Vice President Jones supported an amendment making council salary changes effective for all members at the same time, stating that for reasons of equity members should not receive different salaries until their staggered terms aligned.
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Vice President Jones stated that, if City Council moved the Council salary ordinance forward for a vote, she would support an amendment making the salary changes effective for all Councilmembers at the same time. She stated that, for reasons of equity, she did not believe Councilmembers should receive different salaries until their staggered terms aligned.
Jones also stated during deliberations that public service should not require elected officials to become martyrs.
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Vice President Jones also stated that public service should not require elected officials to become martyrs.