Posted on: Friday, May 3, 2002

Council may forego pay raise

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser City Hall Writer

The City Council is poised to reject proposed pay raises for itself, the mayor and his top aides, but will allow raises to go through for police and fire officials and the rest of the mayor's cabinet.

Seven of the nine City Council members yesterday introduced a resolution to reject pay raises for council members, the mayor, managing director and deputy managing director.

Under the proposal, police and fire chiefs and their deputies would still get the 5 percent raises recommended last week by the city Salary Commission. The prosecuting attorney and other city department heads and their deputies would get 3 percent raises, as proposed by the commission. That includes lawyers who work in the prosecuting attorney and corporation counsel offices.

The Council's Policy Committee is expected to take up the matter May 15, which would set up a final vote by the full Council May 29.

Mayor Jeremy Harris last night said the raises are deserved for all city workers but he believes "the time is just not right."

The raises apply to top city administrators and other appointed, non-union officials. Under the pay raise schedule, the mayor's salary would have gone from $112,000 to $115,360. Police and fire chiefs would make $104,598 and directors of city departments would earn $99,807.

Councilman John Henry Felix said a majority of the council members think department heads and their deputies deserve the raise "to maintain equity by preserving a reasonable relationship with the salaries of their highest-paid civil service subordinates, whose salaries are automatically increased through collective bargaining agreements."

Felix said the Council sees a distinction "between individuals who oftentimes forgo much-better private sector compensation to serve in Cabinet-level positions in city government and those who seek elective office."

City Council Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi earlier said she doesn't believe the city can afford the pay raises.

Those who signed the rejection proposal include Council Chairman John DeSoto, members Felix, Duke Bainum, Darrlyn Bunda, Romy Cachola, Kobayashi and Gary Okino. Councilman Jon Yoshimura has also said he opposes raises for the Council.