New Commission To Review Elected Officials' Pay Every Four Years
Even for elected officials, it's hard to afford living in New York City, especially when salaries have not changed in the last ten years.
The New York City Council voted to form a commission to review elected officials' salaries Monday, allowing independent oversight over what elected officials get paid, and signaling that the affordability crunch has reached the highest levels of city government.
Five members of the Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Local Legislation voted for it, one against it, and one was absent.
The bill to get the mayor to convene an independent review of elected officials' pay comes when the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough presidents, council members and district attorneys haven't had a change to their salaries in 10 years. Mayors are already mandated by the city to form a pay review commission, but both Eric Adams and Bill DeBlasio failed to do so.
"I have every expectation that with this legislation passed, a pay commission will be announced – I don't know about within days, but will be announced imminently, and this work will begin," said Grace Rauh, executive director of Citizens Union, a group that advocates for good government in New York City.
About a third of New York City residents pay more than half their income to housing. Mayor Mamdani's platform has largely been focused on affordability. Many members of the council align with the mayor on issues of affordability, but deciding on their own financial position can be a conflict of interest.
Under the bill, the mayor will form an independent commission to review pay for the elected roles of mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough presidents, council members and district attorneys. The review would be done again every four years after that.
The commission will be made up of hand-picked New Yorkers "recognized for their knowledge and experience in management and compensation matters," the bill reads.
In December a separate bill was floated by the council, proposing new salaries for officials without review, including the council. Citizens Union spoke out about that proposal and advocated for a new bill re-establishing the dormant pay commission.
Frank Morano, who voted against the bill, represents Staten Island's South Shore, and has previously voiced opposition to Mayor Zohran Mamdani, but also voices concerns about affordability.
""New Yorkers are already struggling with the cost of living, and the city itself is facing serious financial pressures. We’re talking about possible tax hikes and painful cuts to essential services. In that environment, I simply can’t support creating a commission whose likely outcome would be pay raises for politicians," he said in an email.
But Rauh of Citizens Union expressed that the commission removes a layer of politics from the pay elected officials might have earned but might not want to give themselves.
"The independent pay commission is in part designed to remove elected officials from kind of the the politics of all of this," she said.
"We know from talking with members of the city council that, like many New Yorkers, members of the city council also face cost of living challenges and affordability challenges," she said. "To go 10 years without a pay raise was, for many members, a real significant financial strain."