By THE ALASKA STORY
Jan. 28, 2026 – Two pay proposals for Fairbanks elected city leaders took divergent paths Monday night, with the City Council advancing a stipend increase for themselves to a public hearing, while rejecting a major salary hike for the mayor.
An ordinance sponsored by Mayor Mindy O’Neall would double the monthly stipend paid to Fairbanks City Council members, from $500 to $1,000. The measure did not pass outright but advanced to a public hearing during the council’s Jan. 26 meeting, allowing for public input before further action.
The other proposal, to significantly raise the mayor’s salary, failed to advance.
That ordinance, sponsored by Councilmember Crystal Tidwell, would have increased the mayor’s annual salary from $87,800 to $136,000, a roughly 55% increase. The measure “died on the table” during the meeting, meaning it did not receive the support needed to even move forward for further consideration.
Mayor O’Neall, who took office in late October 2025, later expressed disappointment with the outcome.
Both proposals were introduced earlier this month during work sessions in which council members discussed compensation levels in Fairbanks compared to other Alaska municipalities. They said the current pay structure makes it difficult to attract younger candidates and does not reflect the responsibilities of the positions, especially due to Fairbanks’ “strong mayor” system, where the mayor holds a lot of authority.
While the mayoral salary proposal has effectively been halted, the council stipend ordinance will proceed to a public hearing for further debate and public testimony.
Photo: Robert Lype
2 thoughts on “Fairbanks advances council stipend increase, while mayoral pay hike stalls”
If O’Neall doesn’t like her government salary then she should go into the private sector. Her old job, director of the wacko climate change research facility, probably paid well. O’Neall is a liar, a tyrant, and a huge POS.
O’Neall’s attempt to get taxpayers to give her a 55% pay increase after two months on the job. What a sleazy, slimy little woman. A recall is the answer to this Democrat tyrant.