New York City Council Members Set Stage for Raises, But Mayor and Speaker Decline
A new commission will be formed to review salaries of all city elected officials, including council members, as part of a bid to increase annual pay by $20,000. However, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin have surprised many by announcing they won't take the proposed salary bump themselves.
The decision comes after months of debate over whether council members should receive a cost-of-living adjustment that hasn't been seen since 2016. While some lawmakers are eager to boost their salaries, which currently stand at $148,500 for council members and $164,500 for Menin, the mayor and speaker have taken a more cautious approach.
Mamdani's spokesperson confirmed that the mayor will not take a pay raise during his first term, citing concerns over affordability. When asked about her decision, Menin echoed Mamdani's stance, stating she also won't be taking a salary increase despite advocating for a cost-of-living adjustment for council members.
The move has been welcomed by some as a way to get the city back on track with its traditional schedule of regularly reviewing salaries. The commission is expected to meet every four years, just like it did under Mayor Eric Adams before he skipped the process entirely.
However, critics argue that this new approach could be seen as an attempt to circumvent the proper channels and avoid making tough decisions about how to allocate city funds. Good-government groups have criticized council members for attempting to push through salary increases without following the established procedure.
Ultimately, the outcome of this commission will depend on the recommendations made by the appointed members, which will still need to be approved by the Council before they can take effect. While it's unclear what the final decision will look like, one thing is clear: the stage has been set for a heated debate over salaries and budget priorities in New York City.
A new commission will be formed to review salaries of all city elected officials, including council members, as part of a bid to increase annual pay by $20,000. However, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin have surprised many by announcing they won't take the proposed salary bump themselves.
The decision comes after months of debate over whether council members should receive a cost-of-living adjustment that hasn't been seen since 2016. While some lawmakers are eager to boost their salaries, which currently stand at $148,500 for council members and $164,500 for Menin, the mayor and speaker have taken a more cautious approach.
Mamdani's spokesperson confirmed that the mayor will not take a pay raise during his first term, citing concerns over affordability. When asked about her decision, Menin echoed Mamdani's stance, stating she also won't be taking a salary increase despite advocating for a cost-of-living adjustment for council members.
The move has been welcomed by some as a way to get the city back on track with its traditional schedule of regularly reviewing salaries. The commission is expected to meet every four years, just like it did under Mayor Eric Adams before he skipped the process entirely.
However, critics argue that this new approach could be seen as an attempt to circumvent the proper channels and avoid making tough decisions about how to allocate city funds. Good-government groups have criticized council members for attempting to push through salary increases without following the established procedure.
Ultimately, the outcome of this commission will depend on the recommendations made by the appointed members, which will still need to be approved by the Council before they can take effect. While it's unclear what the final decision will look like, one thing is clear: the stage has been set for a heated debate over salaries and budget priorities in New York City.
I mean, come on! Politicians making excuses? Can't they just be transparent about why they don't want a raise? 
Like, if they're not going to take the hit, why should we have to pay for it through taxes? The whole thing just feels like a PR stunt to me... and honestly, I'm kinda excited to see how this all plays out 
. Council members are already making bank – what's another $20k gonna do? Just seems like they're trying to save face and maintain some semblance of integrity
the fact that Mayor Mamdani and Council Speaker Menin are declining their own pay raises despite advocating for it is crazy 
they're setting an example, but also getting roasted by critics 
who say it's a sneaky move to avoid making tough budget decisions 
I gotta say, I'm kinda stoked about this new commission idea! It's great that we're having an open conversation about our city officials' pay, and now we get to see some accountability in action 
. It might be a bummer that the mayor and speaker aren't taking a raise themselves (can you blame 'em though? 
), but this new process gives us a chance to re-evaluate what's fair and reasonable for these positions. Plus, having a regular schedule for reviewing salaries is like, super helpful in keeping our city's finances on track 
.
might be good for the city's finances though, but can we trust these ppl with our tax dollars? 
. I hope the commission does its job and we get some transparency about who's getting what and why 
. It's like, shouldn't they be setting an example for the rest of us who aren't making 6 figures? 
. The fact that some people are worried about them trying to sneak one past everyone though, I get it 
. i mean, don't get me wrong, the thought of 20k more annually isn't terrible, especially after 9 years without an adjustment 
. this commission is gonna have some major decisions to make!
. But on the other hand, I get why some people might see it as a way for council members to avoid making tough decisions about budgets 
.
. The commission has the opportunity to bring some much-needed clarity to this situation, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll make some smart recommendations 
its interesting that the mayor and speaker are being cautious about taking the pay raise though, I guess u can say they're trying to be responsible with the city's money