Ann Arbor Council Approves Attorney Pay Raise
The city attorney receives a $30,000 base salary increase following a unanimous vote by local officials.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in People
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Ann Arbor City Council voted 9-0 to increase City Attorney Atleen Kaur's annual base salary from $246,300 to $276,300. The raise follows a fiscal year in which the attorney's office collected $7.3 million in legal settlements.
Why it matters
Council members stated the pay adjustment acknowledges Kaur's leadership and performance while moving the position toward parity with the city administrator. The office notably secured over $6 million in settlements related to PFAS cases during the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Kaur's new $276,300 salary reflects a $30,000 increase from her previous pay of $246,300. This follows the $7.3 million in legal settlements managed by her office during fiscal year 2025-26.
The players
Atleen Kaur
She serves as the City Attorney for Ann Arbor and manages the city's legal affairs and settlement collections.
Milton Dohoney
He is the City Administrator for Ann Arbor who oversees municipal operations and administration.
The details
The 9-0 vote secures the pay hike for Kaur, who was originally hired in 2022 with a starting base salary of $210,000. City leadership previously approved a $20,000 raise and an $8,400 bonus for City Administrator Milton Dohoney in January 2026.
Timeline
Atleen Kaur was hired as city attorney in 2022.
City Administrator Milton Dohoney received a raise in January 2026.
The city attorney's office collected $7.3 million in settlements during fiscal year 2025-26.
The Ann Arbor City Council voted to approve the salary increase on October 19, 2026.
Market Landscape
This compensation shift follows the city's pay parity policy for executive leadership by attempting to align the attorney's earnings with the city administrator's base salary. The move underscores an effort to retain high-level municipal talent amid increasing demand for legal expertise.
The salary adjustment represents a shift in city administrative spending that may influence future budget discussions regarding municipal staffing costs. Residents may see this reflected in upcoming public budget disclosures and total compensation reports.
The takeaway
Competitive compensation for city executives is often a central point of debate in municipal governance. Citizens can monitor future local salary adjustments by regularly reviewing the public agendas published before each city council session.
Further reading
For more context on local government staff and leadership, visit Ann Arbor People.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
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