An Anchorage commission voted Thursday to increase the salary of the city's next mayor by about 3 percent.
The Salary and Emoluments Commission's action set the new salary at $132,960, up from $129,064. Commission chair Steve Rieger called the increase "appropriate" and said it was meant to compensate for inflation.
No one testified at the public hearing. While discussing the proposal, members of the commission said they worried about public perception in the face of the state's challenging fiscal climate. But they said taking no action might mean a larger one-time increase down the road.
The commission last took action on the mayor's salary in 2008, and it has stayed flat since 2011.
The change does not affect the salary of current Mayor Dan Sullivan. It would take effect in July at the start of the next administration, though the newly elected mayor would have the option of turning down the raise.
Including benefits, Mayor Dan Sullivan's total yearly compensation is about $162,342.