Of all the problems facing Bend, the compensation of the mayor and councilors is not at the top of the list. It should be on the list

It would be simpler if we didn’t have to pay them at all, if the reward of serving was enough. It’s not an issue that is simple.

Anyone can run now for the positions as long as they fit the most basic of requirements.

But there is another obstacle: time. It can be like a full-time job to be Bend’s mayor. Mayors of Bend say they have spent anywhere from 10 hours a week on the job of mayor to 80 hours.

It can be like a part-time job to be a councilor. Councilors, present and former, report spending up to 25 hours a week as a councilor. Sometimes it was as little as 5 hours.

Then there’s another consideration. Being the mayor or a councilor means not using that time for family or for other work. Those aren’t easy sacrifices to make.

They can be easier for people who are self-employed or are wealthier. Shouldn’t people be able to hold the positions no matter what kind of job they hold or how much income they make?

The mayor currently makes $19,540.08 a year.

Councilors make $9,770.04 a year.

They don’t get health insurance.

That compensation is not insignificant. It’s not much for what can be a second full time job as mayor or a part time job as councilor.

In some cities in Oregon, mayors and councilors are paid more — Beaverton, Gresham, Hillsboro and Eugene. And in all of those cities except Eugene, they are offered health insurance.

Mayors and councilors in Salem, Medford and others are not paid stipends.

As another point of comparison, the annual salary for Deschutes County commissioners is $125,500.

What would be fair for Bend’s mayor and councilors?

The recommendation from a city committee was to more than double the compensation to $50,000 a year for the mayor and $30,000 for councilors.

They would also have access to city health insurance and get a wellness stipend of $3,000 annually.

If you aren’t weeping for people who choose to run, we get it.

Nobody is forcing them to serve.

It should be, though, an option for more people in the community. And to make serving a legitimate option for more people, we do need to pay the mayor and councilors more.