No Praise for City Council Raise

On a day when voters were deciding the future direction of this nation, members of the New York City Council Government Operations Committee were deciding whether to give themselves and their colleagues a raise.

Not content with the $90,000 they earn annually for their part-time public service position (plus many thousands more in bonuses they simply call lulus), members of the City Council are now considering a 25 percent raise – to $112,500!

When was the last time you got a raise like that?

Many of these council members already hold other jobs as lawyers, accountants and other professions in the private sector. Those who don’t should consider themselves fortunate to earn a nearly six figure salary, especially when some of them barely function on a part-time basis.

You know who I’m talking about.

To his credit, only one council member has opposed this raise, Queens Council Member Tony Avella who said, “I’m fine with $90,000. I think that is enough.”

Currently, the median annual income for a city resident working full-time is $40,000 dollars. In Sunset Park, the median income is significantly less with nearly 30 percent living below the poverty line.

Perhaps one of the most troubling aspects of this pay raise is the fact that it’s the council members themselves who will vote on it. And, of course, they will want to implement immediately.

One can easily predict that a term limits law, passed twice by voters, will become their next target since most of these council members will be headed out the door in a couple of years.

Last year, when I ran for City Council, I didn’t run because it paid $90,000 a year. I ran because I truly felt that the hardworking families in our neighborhood and City, needed and deserved public servants who truly appreciated and worked overtime, not just part or full-time, for every single one of their tax dollars.

There are many fine City Council members who work hard and truly deliver for their districts, but they should not try to violate the public trust by offering themselves a raise and possibly trying to extend their own terms. After all, the public is the boss.

Despite a chorus of calls against this pay raise by many good government groups and the city’s editorial boards, including the New York Times, I’m sure the City Council will try to pass this salary increase in time for the holidays.

And when the vote comes, I’m sure that even those members often cited for their abysmal attendance records at City Council meetings will be seated early and voting with a hearty “YES!”

(If you want to voice your opinion on this pay raise call the New York City Council at 212-788-7210.)