{"id":2521906,"date":"2025-12-16T19:20:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T00:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-council-urged-to-delay-pay-raise-proposal\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T19:22:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T00:22:50","slug":"nyc-council-urged-to-delay-pay-raise-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nyc-council-urged-to-delay-pay-raise-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Council urged to delay pay raise proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnyc-council-urged-to-delay-pay-raise-proposal%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2521906&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The New York City Council is considering a bill that woudl increase council members&#8217; annual salaries by 16%, raising their pay from $148,500 to $172,500. The raise would also apply to the mayor,public advocate,comptroller,and borough presidents,with the incoming mayor&#8217;s salary potentially reaching nearly $350,000. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watchdog-says-ex-usaid-pandemic-official-sent-taxpayer-money-to-his-own-private-project\/\" title=\"Watchdog Says Ex-USAID Pandemic Official Sent Tax...er Money to His Own Private Project\">good government groups<\/a> and watchdog organizations are urging the council to delay the pay raise and instead establish an independent commission to evaluate elected officials&#8217; compensation. Critics argue that it is inappropriate for council members to vote on their own pay increases without an independent review, emphasizing the importance of clarity and maintaining public trust. While some council members defend the raise as necessary to attract qualified candidates and note that council salaries have not increased as 2016, opponents highlight concerns about optics and democratic norms.The proposed pay hike would cost the city about $1.6 million, wich some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/atlantic-city-shutters-needle-exchange-site-amid-spike-in-deadly-overdoses\/\" title=\"Atlantic ... Shutters Needle Exchange Site Amid Spike In Deadly Overdoses\">council members argue<\/a> is minimal compared to other budget expenditures.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">NYC Council urged to delay pay raise proposal<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2447150\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &mdash;&nbsp;Good government groups urged the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york-city\/\">New York City<\/a> Council on Tuesday to reject a plan to give themselves a pay raise and appoint an independent&nbsp;commission to evaluate compensation for the city&rsquo;s elected officials.<\/p>\n<p>A&nbsp;bill&nbsp;being considered by the Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation, would boost council members&rsquo; annual pay by 16% from $148,500 to $172,500. If approved, the proposed pay hike would also apply to the new mayor, public advocate, comptroller, and borough presidents. It would raise incoming Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\">Zohran Mamdani&rsquo;s<\/a> pay to nearly $350,000, up from the current $258,000 with benefits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance\/3915227\/elizabeth-warren-concerned-next-fed-chair-trump-sock-puppet\/\">Elizabeth Warren concerned next Fed chair could be Trump &#8216;sock puppet&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance\/3913592\/scott-bessent-slams-blue-states-declining-one-big-beautiful-bill-act-tax-relief\/\">Bessent slams blue states for declining One Big Beautiful Bill Act tax relief<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/finance\/3912769\/new-orleans-cost-cutting-measure-paying-off\/\">New Orleans cost-cutting measures are paying off, report says<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >government watchdogs urged&#038;nbsp<\/a>;councilors Tuesday during a public hearing to pause the pay raise proposal, and amend the bill to direct the incoming Mamdani administration to convene an independent commission to weigh compensation for the elected officials.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it doesn&rsquo;t look right for the City Council to be acting in its own self-interest,&rdquo;&nbsp;Grace Rauh, executive director of the nonpartisan group Citizens Union,&nbsp;told the&nbsp;panel. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re also in a period where democratic norms have been eroded nationally, and in Washington, and so we&rsquo;re quite concerned about declining trust in government.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Samantha Sanchez, a policy director at Common Cause New York, told councilors Tuesday that the group isn&rsquo;t opposed to &ldquo;fair and reasonable&rdquo; pay for elected officials, but wants the process to be done in a transparent manner that maintains public trust.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;For more than 50 years, New York City has relied on independent commissions to evaluate compensation for elected officials,&rdquo; she told the panel. &ldquo;Allowing elected officials to vote to increase their own compensation, particularly on a retroactive basis, raises procedural concerns and runs contrary to long-standing anti-corruption principles.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Council members haven&rsquo;t had a raise since 2016, when their pay increased by more than $30,000 per year. They are among the highest-paid city councilors in major U.S. cities, dwarfed only by Los Angeles and Chicago, according to published data.<\/p>\n<p>Councilwoman Nantasha Williams, a Queens Democrat who filed the pay raise bill, said during Tuesday&rsquo;s hearing that she isn&rsquo;t opposed to having an independent commission look at pay raises, but said it could delay the process of approving the plan and noted that &ldquo;the public has always been upset about any raise, no matter how the raises have come.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Councilman Lincoln Restler, who chairs the committee, also defended the proposed pay raises and said the data presented with the legislation &ldquo;shows that an increase is needed&rdquo; and should be &ldquo;dealt&nbsp;with swiftly.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He said, despite the public uproar over the council&rsquo;s plan to increase its own pay, the cost to the city would pale by comparison to the $2.1 billion impact of raises given to &ldquo;political appointees&rdquo; hired by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams during his administration. He said the proposed raises would cost only $1.6 million in the next fiscal year, if approved.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3919482\/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-spends-final-weeks-office-globetrotting\/\">ERIC ADAMS SPENDS FINAL WEEKS IN OFFICE GLOBETROTTING<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Restler also pointed to other smaller U.S. cities, including Los Angeles and San Diego, where elected councilors are paid more than their New York City counterparts.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s never popular to do a pay&nbsp;increase for elected officials. It&rsquo;s always fraught,&rdquo; he said in remarks. &ldquo;But it&rsquo;s critical that we convince the best and brightest, not just the wealthiest, New Yorkers to make the decision to run for public office.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NYC Council urged to postpone pay raise plan, seek review<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2869,"featured_media":2521907,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25325767184245_93ca6f.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[33772,10066,7332,62515,5210],"class_list":["post-2521906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-city-council","tag-delay","tag-nyc","tag-pay-raise","tag-proposal"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25325767184245_93ca6f.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2869"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2521906"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2521910,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2521906\/revisions\/2521910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2521907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2521906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2521906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2521906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}