Majority leader calls for ‘great care’ regarding pay hikes
Mayor included $5K raise for himself in his proposed 2019 budget for city
Any recommendation to raise elected officials’ salaries “must be investigated with great care,” the Common Council majority leader says.
The comment by Alderman Reynolds Scott-Childress came in the wake of Mayor Steve Noble including a $5,000 increase in mayor’s salary in his 2019 budget, to $80,000.
Noble also has suggested subsequent raises of $5,000 per yer for each of the following four years, ultimately resulting in an annual mayoral salary of $100,000.
Scott-Childress, D-Ward 3, wrote in an email: “It is only fair that elected officials be compensated for their diligent work serving their constituents. That means taking a hard look at the amount of time, effort and skillsdevelopment of office holders.”
Also, Scott-Childress said, requested compensations for Kingston officials must be compared to those in “municipalities of similar size and status.”
“Before agreeing to any changes in pay for elected officials, this initial work must be done,” he said.
As others have pointed out, Scott-Childress noted some department heads in Kingston are paid more than the mayor.
“Mayor Noble has done an excellent job in hiring department heads based on their skills and experience,” the alderman said. “And his call to raise the salary of the office of the mayor makes some sense in light of the fact that some department heads who report to the mayor
make a higher salary than he does.”
But Scott-Childress called for caution nevertheless.
“While mayor Noble came into office with years of government experience allowing him to step right into the role of managing an enterprise with a $40
million budget, we cannot be sure that future city mayors will have any such expertise,” he said.
Common Council members are paid $8,000 per year for part-time work. The council majority and minority leaders are paid $500 more apiece, and the alderman-at-large receives annual pay of $10,000.
Noble’s 2019 budget does not include raises for any members of the council.
Noble’s proposed city
budget for the coming year totals nearly $44 million, keeps the property tax levy at the 2018 level and reduces property tax rates.
The plan calls for increasing spending by $1.4 million, or 3.4 percent, over this year’s adopted budget, and it would use about $905,000 from the city’s fund balance to offset expenses.
The budget still must be reviewed and voted on by the Common Council.