Pew study: Phila. City Council salaries average $132,789 - that's the 3rd highest among big U.S. cities

Philadelphia's City Council is remains among the highest paid of the country's largest cities with an average salary of $132,789, according to a Pew report released this week.

That is an increase of about $11,600 since 2010, the last time Pew studied how Philadelphia's Council stacked up against those in 14 other major U.S. cities.

Only two cities among those sampled by Pew, which included the 10 largest by population and five others, pay their council members more on average: Washington, $137,375; and Los Angeles, $189,041.

Philadelphia also continues to have among the longest-serving members.

It's well known that members here, who aren't bound by term limits, tend to stick around. Of the current 17-person body, members were elected in 1999 (Council President Darrell L. Clarke and Blondell Reynolds Brown), 1992 (Jannie Blackwell), and 1979 (Brian J. O'Neill).

But the average tenure has dropped substantially in the past five years - from 15.5 years to 8.2 years - due to high-turnover elections, retirements and resignations, according to the study.

In 2010, Philadelphia had the longest average tenure, while today Baltimore (14.2 years) and Chicago (9.2 years) are longer.

Pew also found a shift in the gender makeup of Philadelphia's Council: women make up 35 percent, down from 41 percent in 2010.

Four of the 15 cities - Detroit, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Washington - have a higher percentage of women on their councils than Philadelphia.

tnadolny@phillynews.com

215-854-2730 @TriciaNadolny