Self-Pay Increases for Officials Criticized as Undermining Good Governance
In New York City, a contentious debate has emerged regarding the compensation of elected officials, a scenario exacerbated by the previous administrations of mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams. Carl Weisbrod, chair of the city’s Quadrennial Advisory Commission for the Review of Compensation Levels of Elected Officials, has taken the lead in addressing the longstanding failures to establish this necessary panel. Alongside colleagues Lilliam Barrios-Paoli and Larian Angelo, Weisbrod’s role has been to rectify the issues that arose when both de Blasio and Adams neglected to form the commission, thereby violating city law.
During his recent testimony, Weisbrod highlighted that the pay raises for the City Council should not be self-administered, as traditionally accepted practices dictate that any salary adjustments take effect only after an election. However, he acknowledged that the long-standing delay in establishing the commission demands immediate action, allowing for the possibility of current pay increases that should ideally be applied to future officeholders.
Proponents of the pay adjustments advocate for implementation starting August 1 or January 1, rather than being backdated to January 1, 2026. Critics argue that retroactive raises undermine the purpose of the commission. The goals set forth by the original legislation mandate a four-year review cycle, designed to ensure that elected officials’ compensation remains relevant and equitable. Both de Blasio and Adams failed to uphold this requirement, which was established to prevent self-inflicted raises.
The foundational 2016 law necessitated the formation of this commission by January 2020 and again in January 2024, a mandate that both previous mayors failed to fulfill. Consequently, the City Council is now positioned to vote on its salary increase, a practice that raises eyebrows in light of the U.S. Constitution’s 27th Amendment, which prohibits Congress from changing its compensation without an intervening election, and the New York Constitution’s Article III, which contains similar restrictions for the state legislature.
The current stipulations within the City Charter only partially address this issue, indicating that raises cannot be implemented during the election period to prevent conflicts of interest. Experts assert that New York City’s governance would benefit from more stringent regulations to mitigate this problem further.
The proposed pay adjustment of 18.2% has been linked to future requirements, including the establishment of the next Quadrennial Advisory Commission in 2028, with any future raises taking effect after the 2029 elections. Incoming Mayor Mamdani is expected to sign off on the increases, similarly to de Blasio’s approach, although Mamdani has opted not to receive the raise himself. Unlike his predecessors, it will be crucial for him to ensure the commission operates in accordance with the city’s established laws. As this situation develops, the focus remains on establishing an accountable system that prevents recurrent lapses in adherence to the protocols intended to govern elected officials’ compensation in New York City.
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