Spokane City Council members might feel some heat in response to the process they launched Monday to examine and probably increase their salaries.

You’ll get no argument here that raises are in order. Spokane is the second largest city in the second largest state in the West. Some 200,000 people live here and many thousands more come here to work and shop, to get health care and other services as well as to enjoy recreation, dining and entertainment.

The governance of such a municipality – with expenditures of half a billion dollars annually – is more than a hobby. It is a full-time job – for which current council members receive a laughable $14,000 a year, eliminating many, many capable citizens from considering that type of public service.

But taxpayers can be fickle about the way their elected officials are compensated. They’ve been known to resent government leaders who spend public dollars on themselves.

Thus, it has become popular to do just what the council is doing: create an independent citizens commission to study the job and decide what it should pay. The state of Washington does it, as does Spokane County.

And such committees have been far from stingy. Last year the state salary commission dished out raises ranging from 9 to 19 percent over two years.

Now, Mayor Dennis Hession will name a five-member commission, subject to the city ethics commission’s review and the council’s OK. The commission will have until May 31 to reach a decision, which will take effect in 2009 unless citizens force a referendum and overturn it.

There is such a thing as removing the council too far from the salary-setting process. At some point, the council should have to take an up-or-down vote on the recommendation. As a measure of accountability, the elected leaders who make the city’s taxing and spending decisions, should take a public stand on whether the salary recommendations are justified. Or not.

Because while the level of the salary affects who will run, the most immediate outcome will probably be a substantial pay increase for the council members in office in 2009. How convenient for them if they can disclaim any responsibility.

There is more to getting elected than being attracted by the salary. There are such considerations as standing and visibility in the community, connections, influence and ability to raise campaign funds. Those barriers will still keep many able citizens out of the picture, no matter how high council pay goes. Salaries are more a reward to those in office now than an enticement to potential future candidates.

Moreover, turning what has been a part-time job – ostensibly, at least – into a career raises the stakes for re-election. Political intensity will rise at City Hall and re-election battles will be fiercer.

Yes, it’s time to bring City Council salaries into line with the reality of the job. But the process now in motion lacks an essential step: a council vote on the ultimate salary package. Without that, citizens are warranted in seeing this move, justified or not, as mainly self-serving.