Leawood's mayor will earn $30,000 a year and city council members $15,000 after the council unanimously approved its first pay raises for elected officials since 2018.

The Sept. 8 vote raised Mayor Marc Elkins' base salary by 50%, from $20,000 to $30,000, according to the Johnson County Post. Councilmembers' base pay rose 36.4%, from $11,000 to $15,000. The council also boosted annual mileage and technology allowances: the mayor's rose from $7,200 to $9,600, and councilmembers' from $4,200 to $5,670.

Seven councilmembers voted in favor.

Councilmember Steven Kaster was absent.

The raises exceeded what the city's draft 2027 budget had proposed. That budget, approved earlier the same evening, included only a $400 bump for councilmembers and a $6,393 increase for the mayor. Councilmember Matt Peppes proposed larger figures in a memo to colleagues, citing Consumer Price Index data showing prices for this part of the country rose about 34.9% between January 2018 and June 2026.

In the memo, Peppes argued that public service should not mean compensation stays "almost completely disconnected" from the time and personal cost of serving. He noted that none of the councilmembers ran for office because of the money.

Peppes also pointed to 2024 base salaries for councilmembers in neighboring cities: $12,475 in Lenexa, $12,800 in Overland Park and $15,429 in Olathe. At $15,000, Leawood's new figure places it near the top of that range.

Councilmember Lisa Harrison acknowledged the awkwardness of the vote. "It's not easy, as you all may know, to suggest that you give yourself a raise," she said at the Sept. 8 meeting.

Councilmembers Sherrie Gayed and Rachel Rubin said the higher pay could remove a barrier for residents considering a run for office. The positions are considered part-time, but members often put in hours outside regular meetings. Elkins said the council has spent extra time on pedestrian safety, street infrastructure, the 135th Street corridor and a park planned for the old city hall and fire station sites.

The council also directed staff to negotiate a group health insurance option for elected officials. Members who opt in would pay 100% of the premium. A separate vote tied future salary adjustments to the annual budget process.

City Administrator Diane Stoddard said the cost of the raises is small enough to be absorbed by a $750,000 contingency fund.

The move follows a broader pattern across Johnson County. County commissioners raised their own pay in December 2024 for the first time in 13 years and built in an automatic 1.5% annual increase, according to the Johnson County Post. The Kansas Legislature voted in April 2026 to override a governor's veto and preserve a 4.4% raise for state legislators, according to the Kansas Reflector.

The compensation changes were approved through three separate unanimous votes at the Sept. 8 meeting. Those voting in favor were councilmembers Rachel Rubin, Lisa Harrison, Matt Peppes, Sherrie Gayed, Mary Larson, Julie Cain and Alan Sunkel.