The next mayor and city council in Mesa will make a lot more money. The current city council approved the pay hikes last month.

The raises, which will be effective for members elected later this year, will increase the Mesa mayor’s pay from the current $33,600 to $73,545, and city council members will see their pay go from $16,800 to $36,832.

The East Valley Tribune said vehicle allowances for the mayor and council are also being increased. Those hikes take place in mid-January of this year.

All of the raises are based on the report of an independent group, commissioned by the council in 2012, and composed of five Mesa residents. They compared the salaries of Mesa officials with those of other, similar cities.

Panel members found the mayor’s salary was the fifth highest in the state, even though Mesa is the state’s third largest city, with a population of 450,000. By comparison, the city of Phoenix website said the mayor of the state’s larges city makes $88,000, while council members make $61,000.