Arroyo Grande City Council granted itself a pay 60 percent pay raise.
The council voted 3-2 to raise council members pay from $405 a month to $648.
The mayor, who previously made the same amount as the other council members, got a slightly higher raise and will make $798.
Keith Storton has served as a city council member for a year and says the pay increase can potentially help encourage the community to fill these positions.
"It's very difficult to get people to fill these positions. It's time consuming, takes a lot of work and dedication," said Storton.
Storton says he believes the hours the members are working should be compensated accordingly.
"The work requires a lot of time. We can spend 20 to 30 hours a week on projects. I had a report today I had to read that was 492 pages long. That is a lot of work," added Storton.
Arroyo Grande Council has not seen a pay raise in nearly a decade, and before this decision, it was the lowest paid city council in the San Luis Obispo County.
Paul Wilcox says he doesn't believe pay raises should be part of the equation.
"I don't really think they should increase their pay. You should go into it thinking like a volunteer position. For example, I work for the salvation army, I'm not asking the salvation army for to give me a pay raise," said Wilcox.
