The question of whether to raise the salary of Springfield’s mayor—right now, the job pays $95,000—has been kicking around for a couple of years. Now, a City Council committee charged with the matter will hold a series of public meetings to hear what Springfield residents think of the idea.
The notion of a mayoral pay increase was first raised in 2006, as part of a long-range planning report for the city done by the Urban Land Institute. Backers of the idea, which include the local Chamber of Commerce, say raising the salary would draw more top-quality candidates for the job of Springfield’s top executive; specifically, it’s hoped a pay raise would make the job more attractive to candidates from the private sector.
The ULI report also recommended lengthening the mayoral term from two years to four years, which would allow an administration time to develop longer-term ideas without the pressure of the almost-constant election cycle created by a two-year term. That idea was embraced by voters, 70 percent of whom voted in favor of a term increase, starting with the next mayoral election, in a 2009 ballot question.
The pay increase looks to be a harder sell. The median household income in Springfield is just $36,000 a year ($28,000 less than the state-wide median), and the metro area’s unemployment rate has been hovering around ten percent for months. To some politicians, the idea of boosting the mayor’s salary from an already healthy $95,000 would be, as Council President Jose Tosado told the Advocate, “an insult to our citizens.” (In an interesting political twist, Tosado is widely expected to announce soon that he’ll run for mayor against incumbent Domenic Sarno this fall.)
While some councilors will no doubt oppose the mayoral raise for fear of alienating voters, others insist a pay raise is an important investment the city needs to make to ensure it gets the best possible leader, one capable of managing an annual budget of more than $530 million and a city with all the typical early-21st century urban woes.
“How do we attract the best possible person to lead this city into the future?” Ward 2 Councilor Mike Fenton said in an interview last summer. “You’ve got to be able to have a competitive salary.”
The City Council’s Mayor’s Compensation Review Committee will hold three public meetings in the coming weeks:
• Wednesday, Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m., at the Greenleaf Community Center, 1188 Parker St.
• Wednesday, Jan. 26, 6:30 p.m., in the cafeteria of the Frederick Harris School, 58 Hartford Terrace
• Thursday, Feb. 3, 6:30 p.m., City Council Chambers in City Hall
And a fourth meeting is still to be scheduled.
