Amid protest from taxpayers over the mayor’s “sneaky” request for a $25,000 raise, the aldermanic finance committee bargained him down.
Just two days after winning reelection, Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., submitted a request asking aldermen for a 22 percent raise, from $115,000 to $140,000.
Saying constituents were choking on that high number, aldermen at Tuesday’s Finance Committee meeting settled on giving the mayor a $131,010 salary instead — a 14 percent hike. They also voted to raise City Clerk Ron Smith’s salary from $42,167 to $48,038.
City Hall watchdog Harry David (pictured above at left) said he had no problem with the dollar figure the mayor requested, but took great issue with the “sneaky and deceptive” timing. If the raise is for the position of mayor, not the mayor as an individual, the request should have been out there in the open prior to the election, he argued.
Giving the mayor any raise at this point would “legitimize this deceptive behavior,” he said, urging aldermen to take a stand.
The board’s lone Republican, East Shore Alderwoman Arlene DePino, was the sole “no” in a 10 – 1 vote on both raises. She said she was following the wishes of her constituents, who are burdened by rising taxes: “My ward is very, very opposed to any raise.”
The mayor’s last raise was in 2003, when his salary increased by $5,000 to $115,000. In 2005, DeStefano opted to forgo his raise during a tough budget year (He also knew he’d be spending the next year running for governor).
The current raise request concerns his two-year term starting Jan. 1, 2008.
Human Resources Director Tina Burgett argued the mayor’s salary should be increased for each year starting from 2004 through 2009, even though the mayor opted not to get a raise that year. She suggested raising the salary according to Local 3144 salary increases of the past 4 years, through the end of contract in 2009. That’s six raises of roughly 3 percent.
Citizen activist Jeffrey Kerekes said the mayor should get some kind of raise, but according to cost of living increases, not 3144 raises, and not calculated retroactively for time periods in which he agreed to forgo a raise.
Aldermen heeded Burgett’s logic, for the most part — they abided by her calculations, giving adjustments according to the 3144 raises. They just stopped at four years instead of six. That amounts to a total raise of 14 percent for both the mayor and clerk.
The new raise would push DeStefano’s salary above Bridgeport and Hartford’s. Click here for a comparative list of surrounding towns’ top execs’ pay.
The proposal now heads to the full board for a vote on Dec. 17.
We lose again. When it comes to taxes and spending, taxpayers are on the losing end every single time. Where's the bargaining? This is no bargain. This is robbery.