NYC Council delays vote on 2025 pay raises for elected officials due to legal concerns.

The New York City Council has decided against voting on a proposed salary increase for its members, the mayor, and other local elected officials during this calendar year, a move attributed to compliance with local law. According to sources familiar with the situation, the decision stems from a provision in the City Charter that prohibits salary raises in the lame-duck period following an election year.

Councilwoman Nantasha Williams had intended to introduce a bill on December 5 that would grant local elected officials significant salary increases, aiming for a vote by December 18. However, during a private briefing, Jeff Baker, a senior legislative official in Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ office, informed council members that due to the aforementioned regulation, the bill cannot be voted on until at least January 2026.

Williams remains committed to introducing her bill this week to “lay the groundwork” for future consideration in the next legislative session, despite the delay. The newly introduced bill will need to be reintroduced next year, but Williams noted it can still progress through hearings and other legislative processes in 2025, enabling the legislation to receive “pre-considered” status for immediate voting once the new session begins.

The proposed increases sparked controversy; watchdog groups criticized the timing of the raises as being not only unwise but illegal. Citizens Union, a government accountability organization, expressed concern, stating that the City Charter’s prohibition exists specifically to avert self-serving decisions by lawmakers not accountable to voters for several years.

In light of these recent developments, there are additional uncertainties on the horizon, as a new City Council speaker will assume leadership in the coming year. The new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, will replace the outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, potentially reshaping priorities and approaches regarding fiscal matters, including salaries for elected officials.

The last salary adjustments for city officials, which included a pay increase, occurred in 2016. Since that time, neither former Mayor Bill de Blasio nor Mayor Adams initiated a review panel mandated by local law to evaluate the need for pay raises for elected officials. Currently, Council members earn approximately 8,000 annually, while the mayor’s salary stands at around 8,000. Additional salaries include the public advocate at about 4,000, the city comptroller at roughly 0,000, and borough presidents earning around 0,000 each year.

Williams’ proposed bill seeks to align elected officials’ pay with the 16% cost-of-living adjustment recently secured by municipal workers through collective bargaining. Should the proposal be approved, it could result in a raise of approximately ,000 for council members, a change that supporters argue is long overdue.