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Taking A City Pay Cut Is Harder Than It Sounds

Mayor Nutter, facing a large and growing budget deficit, called on independently elected officials in Philadelphia last fall to cut their budgets, first by 5 percent and then by 10 percent. While Nutter in November said he was hoping for "100 percent cooperation" from other elected officials, it wasn't clear if he would get it.

Mayor Nutter, facing a large and growing budget deficit, called on independently elected officials in Philadelphia last fall to cut their budgets, first by 5 percent and then by 10 percent.  While Nutter in November said he was hoping for "100 percent cooperation" from other elected officials, it wasn't clear if he would get it.

City Controller Alan Butkovitz offered to trim his own salary by 5 percent.  But the city discovered a problem: A state Supreme Court ruling says salaries for elected officials can't be reduced mid-term.  Advised of this, Butkovitz has found a work-around to cut his salary by $3,121 this year.  He will donate $120.07 to the city from his bi-weekly paychecks.

We're checking to see what, if anything, other elected officials are doing to trim their pay.

UPDATE:  City Finance Director Rob Dubow tells PhillyClout that six members of City Council -- Anna Verna, Marian Tasco, Frank DiCicco, Jim Kenney, Bill Green, and Curtis Jones Jr.  -- have agreed to take 5 percent pay reductions using the same method as Butkovitz.  Register of Wills Ron Donatucci and Sheriff John Green have also agreed to salary reductions but details on how to make that happen are still being worked out, Dubow said.