COUNCIL MEMBERS GETTING RAISE.

Byline: Enrique Rivero Daily News Staff Writer

The City Council has granted itself its first pay raise in six years, seeing its monthly compensation jump by about 34 percent.

On Tuesday the council voted unanimously to raise its monthly compensation to $1,026 from $765, an increase that falls within the annual 5 percent pay increase allowed by state law.

In addition to their monthly pay, council members also receive a $150-a-month car allowance and health insurance coverage. They also are reimbursed for business-related expenses.

Council members merit the raise because of the large amount of time they put in on city business, Mayor Andrew Fox said.

``It would be fair for the council to receive what the state law calls for,'' Fox said. ``With the amount of time and effort that I do my very best to put in, it's certainly worthy of the type of compensation that's called for by the state.''

According to a memo from the city's Human Resources Department, council members put more than full-time hours into their council roles, typically spending 50 hours per week on city-related business such as attending council and committee meetings, city events and planning sessions.

For some members, their council work is in addition to the hours they put in at their full-time jobs. Fox is a Los Angeles Fire Department captain, and Councilman Michael Markey is a police detective in Compton.

State law allows city councils to raise their pay by 5 percent each year. The newly approved pay increase represents a 5 percent increase for each year from 1991 to 1996, as allowed by state law.

The new pay rate goes into effect when the new council is seated following the Nov. 5 City Council election, according to the memorandum.