AUGUSTA — City councilors, without a raise since 2008, are considering a proposal for a stipend increase that could as much as double their pay, which would put them behind only their colleagues in Portland and Saco in pay for elected officials in Maine cities.

Supporters of the idea say the long hours and weekly meetings involved in serving on the council are poorly compensated, and increasing the pay for councilors and the mayor could increase and broaden the number of people running for those offices and help ensure diversity on the council.

“Between all the meetings we attend — regular meetings, school board, planning board meetings, and answering and going to see constituents and listening to their issues — you add up all those hours, at least the hours I put in, and I’m pretty sure that we’re not even making minimum wage,” Ward 3 Councilor Mike Michaud said at a July 24 discussion of the proposal.

“I can’t stress enough: There is nobody sitting around this table that is serving because of the amount of money they get paid; they’re serving because they believe in the community and want to make it the best it can be,” said Michaud, the main advocate for a pay increase. “But I also believe you should be able to be paid for your services.”

Michaud said he hasn’t settled on the amount councilors’ pay should increase. He suggested doubling it would roughly work out to what their pay would be if councilors had gotten a 3% cost of living raise each year since the last time their compensation was raised, which was by charter amendment in 2008.

He suggested increasing the mayor’s pay from $3,000 to at least $5,000, and increasing councilors’ current $200 monthly stipend by an additional $100 to $150 a month, which is an increase in annual pay from $2,400 to between $3,600 and $4,200.

At-Large Councilor Courtney Gary-Allen said she’s talked to people about running for a council seat and some of them said it wasn’t feasible for them to give up the amount of time required for the job while still working and providing for their families given the current level of pay. She expressed concern that the low stipend could limit people running for council to only those with the financial ability to do so.

But opponents said increasing elected city officials’ pay is not a good use of limited funds. The increase isn’t needed because council positions are being filled, not being left vacant, and their pay in Augusta is, compared to other Maine cities, roughly in the middle of the pack, where they think it belongs. Opponents also said individuals run for City Council to serve their city, not make money.

“I think we’re just about right now … we’re right in the sweet spot,” said At-Large Councilor William Savage. “To talk about the effect people are wanting to have — maybe encouraging more candidates or whatever — it would have to be at least double, I’d say. And if we make that kind of change, we’re talking about putting ourselves way out of whack with every other community on this list.”

The city charter specifies city councilors be paid $200 a month, which works out to $2,400 a year, while Augusta’s mayor is paid $250 a month, which comes to $3,000 for the year. Councilors usually meet weekly. The city’s population is around 19,000 people, and it’s annual municipal budget is about $47 million a year.

At the request of councilors, City Manager Jared Mills compared the total spending for city council and mayor pay for 19 other similarly sized Maine municipalities with city councils.

Augusta’s total mayor and council pay was the eighth highest, at more than $22,200.

Seventh-ranked Sanford, with 22,000 residents and a municipal budget of $39 million, pays its council and mayor $29,000: $4,000 for councilors and $5,000 for the mayor.

Ninth-ranked Biddeford, also with a population of about 22,000, and a budget of $32 million, pays its councilors and mayor a total just under $22,000: $1,200 for councilors and $10,000 for the mayor.

Portland, which has a population of around 69,000 people and a city budget of $286 million, tops the comparison, with annual stipends for councilors totaling more than $55,576; $6,947 for each councilor. The total figure does not include the mayor’s position which, in Portland, is a full-time paid position.

Doubling Augusta’s council and mayoral pay would bring Augusta’s annual council and mayor stipend spending to $44,400 — in Mills’ 19-city comparison, behind only Portland at $55,576 and Saco at $45,000.

Increasing the pay of elected officials would require a charter change and thus require a referendum vote by residents. Part of that process would include public hearings.

Michaud said he wants to pursue the proposal and he’ll work with the city’s attorney to draft proposed language for a referendum question. That proposal would then come back to councilors for a public hearing, then, later, a vote on whether to send the question to citizens in November.

Mayor Mark O’Brien said one thing to consider is when the raises would take effect. They could take effect upon voter approval, or could be delayed. Implementation could be delayed until after councilors now on the council end their terms, to avoid the appearance that they were voting to give themselves a raise when they sent the question to voters.