Tacoma Public Utility Board members work without pay. That’s about to change
Members of Tacoma’s Public Utility Board starting in 2026 will receive monthly stipends of $1,596 after a rare split vote of the Tacoma City Council.
The board’s five members, who are appointed to the job and until now have served without pay, are responsible for overseeing the management and “strategic direction” for Tacoma Power, Tacoma Water and Tacoma Rail. The approval of the stipends is an annual cost of $95,760, according to the city.
Council Member Joe Bushnell, who has served on the board and sponsored the resolution, said the role is a “significant” one and providing stipends to its members will help diversify the board.
“To ensure that the board reflects the full diversity and lived experience of Tacoma ratepayers, we must create equitable pathways for participation,” he said at the Dec. 2 meeting where the stipends were approved. “I do believe that offering stipends honors the seriousness of this role, reduces the economic barriers to service and helps build a more inclusive, representative board that is capable of stewarding our public utilities with accountability, transparency and fairness.”
City officials have projected an $15 million budget deficit in the 2027-2028 budget, but that deficit applies only to the city’s general fund. The money for the stipends comes from the Tacoma Public Utility budget, which is separate from the city’s general fund.
The item passed in an 8-2 vote, with councilmembers Olgy Diaz and Sandesh Sadalge dissenting and councilmember Kiara Daniels absent.
Diaz said the plan was too expensive and said it doesn’t go far enough to address equity because it leaves out the rest of the unpaid members of Tacoma’s boards and commissions.
“Just because it’s not general fund money doesn’t mean it comes from nowhere,” Diaz said. “It actually comes directly from ratepayers.”
Council member John Hines, who voted in favor of the proposal, raised concerns that members of the public utility board would make more money than members of the Parks Tacoma board – who earn $1,288 a month.
“We have multiple volunteers and commissions that do a lot of good work here in the city of Tacoma,” Hines said. “I recognize that because this is a utility board we have the means by which to pay them. I do think it does set a precedent for us as a city that we’re going to have to address in the future, which is how do we compensate other volunteers.”
