(FOX40.COM) — On Tuesday, three of five Folsom City Council members approved an ordinance that would triple the role’s monthly pay after the next election cycle.

This vote was just the first step. There’s still one more vote and changes can be made. However, this decision is already stirring controversy.

Barbara Leary was one of the two council members who voted against the pay increase.

“Extending an additional cost to the city by increasing our salaries does not sit well with me,” Leary said.

The ordinance would raise their monthly pay from $600 to $1900 after the next election cycle. Leary said there’s never a “good time” to do this, but especially not now.

“We have had a long-standing problem with budget shortfalls for at least 2 to 3 years that have just become more prominent over the last couple of years,” Leary said. “When we have tried to deal with those after the last year, we have made a lot of cuts in personnel and we’ve actually put a fire truck out of service at this time, so we’re really feeling the pinch.”

The last time the role’s pay increased was back in 2018 and before that 1990. Folsom Mayor Justin Raithel said it’s not about making more money. It’s about making the job more accessible to people who otherwise could not afford to take on the position.

“It does really, hopefully, open that door to where if you are passionate about Folsom and you’re passionate about public service, then you could maybe have that opportunity, with this slightly higher compensation, in order to be able to participate and run for office,” Raithel said.

Elisha Kampsen told FOX40 she loves being a Folsom resident, but she said this recent decision — and the rational behind it — doesn’t add up.

“Someone like me who would love to serve on the board, it’s $22,000 a year, I’m still not going to be able to quit my job to do that position,” Kampsen said. “For me, I would do it because it’s public service. I wouldn’t be doing it for the money.”

The value of the raises combined would cost the city an extra $75,000 a year, but would not go into effect until the next election cycle, so some of the members who voted yes may not see the pay increase themselves.

The mayor said this would come from the general fund and he believes it would lead to better governance.

“We get more time from our council members advocating at the regional level, state level and federal level,” Raithel said. “We get more time for them spending on economic development. That’s really my hope, that we free up some extra hours from these five passionate people that are caring and they really, truly are in a position to make a difference for Folsom.”

“There has been trust lost,” Kampsen said. “I know that they’re doing their best. I just hope that they understand that something like this can really either damage their relationship with the residents or strengthen it.”

The next Folsom City Council meeting is on April 14. The public is invited to express their opinions to their representatives. The mayor confirmed that at the next meeting, the proposal could still change before it’s potentially adopted.

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