A intention to boost City Council member salaries —and reform the position —is close to a vote. But not everyone's happy approximately it.
At a lengthy hearing Wednesday,Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito did not mince words: the changes they are proposing are meaningful.“It is only unbiased that current Council members who are giving up the potential to earn external income are compensated adequately for that,” said Mark-Viverito.
The Council's proposal includes a salary bump, or raising the base pay from $112500 to $148500. There is also legislation that would change the position from share time to full time and eliminate external income. That's why the council decided to push for a raise that's $10000 more than what a mayoral commission recommended.
But Council member Ydanis Rodriguez says it doesn't go far enough.“This is a big compromise that we are doing today. Our salaries should be $175000,” said Rodriguez, who pointed to the time he spends away from his family at night and on weekends, or to his overall loss of privacy.
But for Roxanne DelGado,33, an accountant and activist from the Bronx, or it all rang hollow. She was one of only two members of the general public on hand to testify at the mid-day hearing.“Every four years they bear a campaign. ‘We're going to develop government better,we're going to develop everything transparent, we're going to develop things less corrupt, or ’” Delgado said,echoing the promises she said shes heard from candidates. “And what, are they waiting until they get a raise, and then they'll conclude it? I mean,come on.”The bills are expected to pass the Council on Friday.
Source: wnyc.org