Councillors happy with salary increase; some were in debt, says Maragh
Winston Maragh, president of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica (ALGAJ), believes the massive salary increase that councillors will be receiving under the government’s compensation restructuring exercise will help them to better serve their divisions.
Maragh stated that the previous salary of $145,000 each month was not enough for councillors to fulfil the different needs of people in their divisions, which involves assisting with funerals and other community and school activities.
“Right now a whole heap of councillors run up inna debt. The only reason dem nuh file fi bankruptcy is because if dem do dat dem cya run back. A lot of councillors have been complaining, on both sides,” he told The Gleaner, “As you move out and go outside, a police who getting more pay dan yuh a beg yuh money, di teacher who getting more pay dan yuh begging yuh money, people, just ordinary citizens who getting more pay dan yuh begging you money.”
Under the new compensation review, councillors salaries surged from $1.6 million per annum, to $5 million as at April 1.
According to Maragh, councillors, who have long been calling for an increase in their remuneration, are happy with this figure.
“I have councillors calling me and mayors calling me from every parish to say that I should make sure that they get dem money by Monday,” he said, noting that no councillor from either political party has indicated that they will not be taking the increase.
In the same breath, he blasted the Opposition People’s National Party’s (PNP) as “hypocrites” for their stance on the salary increase for parliamentarians. The Opposition has called for the government to revise the more than 200 per cent wage increase granted to members of the political directorate.
He asserted that any roll back of the increase would also have to include the permanent secretaries and the chief executive officer of the different municipalities as the councillors and mayors salaries are measured against theirs.
“How the hell must a man report to me and get more pay than me? You know what that leads to? That is gonna lead to insubordination,” he said, “The people in Jamaica need to be educated about the salaries of the civil servants.”