The executive leaders of the City of Amsterdam are receiving a pay raise this month following a retroactive salary increase for Dutch national civil servants.
Mayor Femke Halsema saw her gross monthly salary rise by nearly 399 euros, bringing her earnings to 15,158.52 euros per month.
Salaries for the city’s aldermen also increased by roughly 348 euros, bringing their new monthly compensation to 13,223.63 euros.
Tied to national contracts
Executive compensation in Dutch municipalities is legally tied to the collective labor agreement for central government employees.
Because national civil servants secured a retroactive 2.7 percent salary increase starting July 1, local municipal executives automatically received the same percentage bump.
In addition to their base pay, top city administrators receive annual holiday pay of 8 percent alongside structured year-end bonuses.
They are also scheduled to receive a one-time gross payment of 1,000 euros in August under the terms of the newly negotiated national agreement.
Differences for council members
The local executive pay scale reflects the size of the municipality, putting Amsterdam in the highest bracket for cities with over 375,000 residents.
Compensation for city officials is kept high partly to reflect the significant political and personal liability risks associated with public office.
By comparison, members of the Amsterdam city council earn considerably less, taking home a standard allowance of roughly 3,200 euros per month.
Because city council positions are formally treated as part-time roles alongside primary careers, council members are not linked to the civil service collective bargaining agreement and will not receive the 2.7 percent raise.
Council members do receive a fixed monthly expense allowance of 223.50 euros, with modest additional stipends available for committee members and political party leaders.
