City Council Speaker Christine Quinn won’t call for a vote today on the proposed 25 percent pay hike for her and her colleagues, it was announced yesterday.
First, a public hearing on the plan will be held and vote will then take place before the end of the year, her aides said.
One Queens Democrat, Tony Avella, plans to vote against it, saying he’s paid enough.
“I am absolutely flabbergasted that the commission has suggested a 25 percent increase of $22,500,” he said.
“Most New Yorkers would be thrilled to receive the present salary of $90,000 for what is basically a part-time job.” Mayor Bloomberg’s Quadrennial Advisory Commission for the Review of Compensation of Elected Officials recommended raising the council base salary to $112,500.
Bloomberg accepted the recommendation, and when forwarding them to Quinn he noted: “The commission has recommended increases in salaries for all elected offices.
I support these recommendations.” But Avella insists the increase is tantamount to a betrayal of public trust.
“Council members knew what the salary was when they, like I, ran for office. It should be up to the voters to decide if we are doing a good enough job to warrant a pay increase,” he said.
The commission recommended that the next review take place in 2011, not as scheduled in 2007. It’s unclear if Quinn will go along.
The reviews are supposed to be made every four years, but there wasn’t one in 2003.
Around City Hall, some business people grumbled about the pay hikes in the face of their own worsening economic situations.
“I’m 100 percent against it,” said Clyde Pierre who co-owns Pushan Corp., an office supply and copy outlet.
“Why don’t they try to help raise the minimum wage? Half the people don’t even know who they are.
That’s too much of a raise for doing nothing.” But David Jacknell, of Hat Corner, a headgear emporium, said they deserved to get a raise.
“They would probably be getting that kind of money in the private sector anyway.
If you want good people you’ve got to pay them,” Jacknell said.
When the council does vote, it will also be on proposed pay hikes for other elected officials ranging from 10 to 26 percent.