3% Raises for Mayor, Aldermen?
Moyer makes pitch after offering cops 2%By NICOLE YOUNG, Staff Writer
After offering city police officers a 2 percent pay increase, Mayor Ellen O. Moyer is pushing for a 3 percent raise for herself and the city's aldermen.
Ms. Moyer said the living adjustment for elected officials stems from a report passed months ago by the previous City Council, and that the charter amendment authorizing the raise is simply a "follow-up and clarification."
"It's not something new. It's just been in our back pocket," she said. "It's the cost-of-living adjustment that needs to be reaffirmed."
The increase is based on cost-of-living adjustments from the federal level, said Tim Elliott, city finance director.
The move would increase the mayor's $70,000 annual salary to $72,100 beginning in July 2008 and increase each alderman's salary $380 to $12,980. In addition, each alderman's $1,500 expense account would increase by $45, Mr. Elliott said. In all, it would add $5,500 to the annual budget.
The mayor's salary was raised from $52,000 to $65,000 in 2001, and again to $70,000 in 2005. Before that, it hadn't been adjusted since 1992.
The increase was originally proposed in December and is scheduled for a public hearing during Monday's City Council meeting.
Negotiations failed earlier this month between the city and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, which represents Annapolis police officers. The union asked for an 8 percent cost-of-living increase; the city offered 2 percent.
"We'd be willing to sign up for that 3 percent increase annually," said Detective John Lee, chief shop steward for Local 400. "We'll take that."
In a memo to city officials, Ms. Moyer described the final 2 percent proposal to police as "generous and fair," but union officials dismissed her claims, saying city officials are sacrificing the public's safety.
"There's a lot of other incentives that make that deal a whole lot better than just a 2 percent cost-of-living raise," said Ray Weaver, a city spokesman. "It has to be looked at as a whole compared to other jurisdictions, and overall it's a great offer. The actual dollars are a lot more than just that 2 percent."
Ms. Moyer also has pointed to police having good retirement and health benefits, in addition to a salary higher than other jurisdictions in the area, including the county, the state and Baltimore. She said the department receives the highest pension contribution in the region.
The proposed pay raise for elected officials follows a 2005 report by a panel headed by Alderman Richard Israel, D-Ward 1, before he was on the council.
Under the current system in the charter, an ad hoc commission of seven city residents reviews the salaries and expense reimbursements of the mayor and aldermen every four years.
Mr. Weaver, who doesn't qualify for this cost-of-living increase, said he believes the increase is reasonable for the number of hours the mayor and aldermen spend working on city business.
"There's not a weekend that goes by that they're not doing city business," Mr. Weaver said. "Every ribbon-cutting or a dog show, she's there, and I think that's a reasonable pay raise."
As for the aldermen, he said those doing their jobs as elected officials deserve the raise as well.
"People don't typically get into elected office for the money," he said.
