Local politicians anticipating a swift salary increase this year may find themselves facing disappointment.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin, newly elected to her position, stated on Wednesday that she has no plans to fast-track a bill that would promptly raise salaries for local elected officials. Instead, Menin emphasized the need for a commission to thoroughly examine the matter before any pay hikes are implemented.
The bill in question, which caught public attention when introduced late last year as reported by the Daily News, proposes a 16% salary increase for Council members, the mayor, the public advocate, the comptroller, and other local elected figures. Queens Councilwoman Nantasha Williams, who sponsored the bill, managed to secure a hearing in December, aiming to push it to a vote early this month. She argued that the adjustment was overdue, highlighting that local officials have not seen a raise in the past ten years.
However, Menin, speaking to the press shortly after her election as speaker on Wednesday, argued against immediate raises without a prior study. She insisted that a commission should first evaluate the appropriate salary levels and make recommendations that the Council could then vote on.
“Traditionally, this process has always been handled through a commission rather than members voting directly on a salary increase bill,” Menin explained.
When questioned about the fate of Williams’ proposal, Menin responded to The News, saying, “Our focus will be on pursuing a resolution through the commission, so that is where our efforts will be directed.”
A commission is by law supposed to be convened every four years to assess whether raises for local politicians are warranted. But ex-Mayor Bill de Blasio didn’t convene one in 2020 due to the pandemic, and ex-Mayor Eric Adams, without explanation, didn’t convene one in 2024, either, prompting Williams and other bill supporters to press for going straight to a vote.
Williams didn’t immediately return a request for comment late Wednesday.
During last month’s hearing on the bill, Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler suggested there was no need for a commission, given the lengthy period without raises.
Late Wednesday, though, Restler voiced support for Menin’s plan, saying it could “address this issue in a timely manner.”
“I think her approach is reasonable and would ensure independent experts fairly determine the salaries of elected officials,” he said.
The timeline for a commission study wasn’t immediately clear, but Menin said she had conveyed directly to Mayor Mamdani that she favors that approach.
A Mamdani spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a request for comment.
Council members currently make about $148,000 annually, while the mayor makes about $258,000. The public advocate pulls in about $184,000 and the comptroller earns roughly $210,000. Borough presidents, who are also expected to be impacted by any raises enacted by the Council, make around $180,000 per year.
The hope from Williams had initially been to move to a vote on her bill in late 2025 while Adrienne Adams was still Council speaker. But the Council ditched those plans after it became clear such a vote would violate rules against enacting pay raises for local politicians in the so-called lame duck period in an election year.
