Should Springfield mayor’s job come with a bigger paycheck?
There’s been a move afoot over the last couple of years to raise the mayoral salary from its current $95,000 to something comparable to what a chief executive of a large operation in the private sector would earn. Backers of the idea—which includes the Chamber of Commerce—believe that would improve the quality of contenders for the job, which includes overseeing about 6,700 employees and managing a $530 million budget.
The proposed salary increase is the second of a two-part effort to deepen the pool of potential candidates; part one, a proposal to increase the mayoral term from two years to four, was easily passed by city voters last year. The salary increase, however, is a stickier subject; while some elected officials (among them, City Councilors Tim Rooke and Michael Fenton) agree with the Chamber that it’s a wise investment, others—whether motivated by principle or politics—balk at the idea of raising the mayor’s pay when so many city residents are struggling financially. Council President Jose Tosado, for one, has called the idea “an insult to our citizens.”
Got an opinion on whether the mayor should get a raise? The City Council is seeking people to serve on an ad-hoc committee to look into the question. Interested Springfield residents should contact their ward councilors (to find yours, look here—although really, if you don’t even know who your ward councilor is, are you engaged enough in civic life to serve on this committee?) or the City Council office and be prepared to provide a short biography. Email is preferred; deadline for throwing your name in the ring is Monday, Oct. 18.
