COUNCIL CONSIDERS PAY RAISE : INCREASE WOULD BE FIRST FOR MEMBERS SINCE 1990.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Council members will decide Tuesday if they are due a raise, something the city's elected officials haven't seen since 1990.

In an argument for a 34 percent increase, the agenda memo compiled by the Human Resources Department states that council members typically spend 50 hours a week on city business and are paid $765 a month for the elected nonstaff posts. Council members also receive a $150 a month car allowance, health insurance coverage and are reimbursed for business-related expenses.

With a city population of 112,000, council members say they often attend dozens of committee meetings, city events and planning sessions, in addition to listening to citizens' concerns and frustrations. The increase would boost pay to $1,026 a month.

``I work around the clock. It's become my life,'' said Elois Zeanah, a council member since 1990. ``I have no problem with a raise. We're way behind. We should have received an increase a couple years ago.''

State law allows the council to raise its pay up to 5 percent annually. While council pay has remained the same since 1990, Thousand Oaks city staff has received annual 3 percent increases during the decade.

Pay and benefits for City Council members varies from city to city.

In Simi Valley, a city of 103,000, council members receive $739.20 per month in pay, a $252 per month expense allowance, health and life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with an automatic $45 contribution from the city per two-week pay period. The mayor receives the same pay and benefits except for a $313.60 per month expense allowance.

Thousand Oaks council members had discussed their pay during a closed meeting several months ago, and some members said they hadn't expected the item to appear on the agenda. They had tabled seeking a raise a couple years ago because of the city's financial situation, Zeanah said.

Councilman Michael Markey, who is running for re-election to his seat in November, said he hadn't decided how he would vote on the raise, but added that the increase would not go into effect until after the new council is installed following the election.

``I haven't decided either way, but it seems reasonable,'' Markey said. ``When you count all the community events and council duties we go to, 50 hours sounds about right.''

Markey said he squeezes his duties in while still working full time as a Compton police officer, and several other council members manage to take care of city business while working full time.

Markey added, however, that he did not consider the pay when he became a council member.

``People are doing this because they want to. They don't do it for money,'' Markey said. ``They do it because they want to help their community.''