Council member raises will help them, not you

The San Antonio City Council might ask its residents to vote on pay raises — up to $125,000 for council members and $140,000 for the mayor. That could be a whopping $871,000 increase in spending.

This proposal is misguided and should be rejected.

Giving us pay raises will not materially improve San Antonians’ lives. There is absolutely no relationship between our salaries and the quality of the city services you receive.

Higher salaries will not result in lower electric or water bills. Additionally, 911 responses, 311 services and trash services will not improve or worsen because of a salary increase. More pay will not increase ridership on VIA buses. Homeless camp cleanups will not be sped up or slowed down with a pay raise. Infrastructure construction delays will not be resolved any quicker with more money in council members’ pockets.

Simply put, a raise will not help you in the least bit.

San Antonio is facing urgent challenges. The focus should be on those issues, not paying the mayor and council more.

Paralyzing poverty is our most challenging problem, and we should be addressing it instead of concerning ourselves with our own salary.

According to the Status of Poverty in San Antonio report, nearly half of its residents cannot cover basic expenses or are one emergency away from not being able to afford necessities such as housing, child care, food, transportation and health care. More than 250,000 residents live at or below the Census Bureau’s poverty line, according to the report.

In 78208, on the city’s near East Side, the median income is $23,864. San Antonio’s poverty reduction rate is unacceptably slow in comparison with the rest of Texas, remaining stagnant at around 18% during the last decade. These are sobering statistics that eclipse any argument for increasing council salaries.

There has never been a shortage of candidates running for City Council. Council members earn $45,722 ($61,725 for the mayor). Those salaries are enormous compared to what San Antonians struggling with poverty get paid. It is insensitive to vulnerable neighbors for us to consider a six-figure salary when so many vulnerable families are barely holding on.

Council members, as conscientious stewards of the public’s tax dollars, should be asking themselves how to better direct that money toward helping all of San Antonio thrive.

Critics may say I am not the right messenger because I have a secondary income. While, yes, I am a small-business owner, I sacrifice time away from my small business to serve on the City Council. I made this choice because I believe it is about selfless public service — serving the public before I serve myself.

Lastly, consider the quality of City Council leadership since before salaries through today. Do you think paying council members a higher salary will attract candidates who are smarter or better qualified? Do you think the people who served previously did a worse job because they were paid less? Would a candidate earning a higher salary be any more productive than those motivated purely by serving their community?

The answer to those questions is a resounding “no.” And “no” is exactly how you should vote if asked to pay council members more money.