Park City’s council members deserve credit for one thing: responding to public outcry. After approving a more than-100% pay hike for themselves in May, they scaled it back to an 18% increase, raising council pay from roughly $29,000 to about $34,373 and the mayor’s pay from $55,000 to $66,683 s tarting in July.  That retreat is damage control, not integrity. The original proposal was a blatant act of self-enrichment done with little transparency. Only after weeks of backlash did they reverse course, revealing embarrassment rather than principle. True integrity would have avoided the overreach altogether. Even the reduced 18% is excessive. With inflation near 4% and typical wage growth around 3%-4%, this one-time jump far exceeds economic reality. Council members already receive roughly $29,000 in health benefits on top of base pay, plus a mayoral car allowance. For a part-time public service role, their pay was already competitive based on a simple google search of municipal pay across the nation.  The core problem is structural self-dealing: elected officials setting their own pay without an independent review or inflation-based formula. The process was rushed and flawed from the start, as several members later admitted.  Some council members have argued that higher pay is necessary to attract working people rather than only wealthy retirees. That is a legitimate concern in theory. Yet the solution cannot be unilateral generosity at the taxpayer expense. If the goal is broader representation, the proper path is an independent review process, clear performance expectations, and raises indexed transparently to average Park City cost of living adjustments — not a reactive retreat from an indefensible starting point that made not logical sense.  Public service requires sacrifice, not maximized personal gain. The 18% figure does not erase the original arrogance or solve the lack of transparency. Park City residents deserve leaders who prioritize restraint over self-interest.  The council should go further by establishing an independent compensation process and demonstrating genuine fiscal humility instead of offering a smaller version of the same mistake.  Phoebe Hailey Park City The post Self-dealing appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less