Will Council members say yea or nay to salary increase?
It's that time of the year again: The post-belt-tightening-budget season when City Council members, who just agreed for the second straight year to raise property taxes in Philadelphia, must declare whether they will now accept a cost-of-living salary increase for themselves - or not.
Will Council members say yea or nay to salary increase?
Marcia Gelbart
It's that time of the year again: The post-belt-tightening-budget season when City Council members, who just agreed for the second straight year to raise property taxes in Philadelphia, must declare whether they will now accept a cost-of-living salary increase for themselves - or not.
Council President Anna C. Verna's office advised members they have until Wednesday at 5 p.m. to decide whether they will (a) indeed accept in their paychecks what this year is a 1.9 percent COLA; or (b) deduct the extra money and return it to the city's general fund or to a pet charity or cause; or (c) accept just a portion of the COLA and direct the rest elsewhere.
Any member who does not respond will simply get the COLA. (With the COLA, the new salary of most Council members would be $120,232, up from $117,991 last year; salaries are slightly higher for the five members of Council leadership.)
As of mid-afternoon today, here were the responses of 10 of Council's 17 members:
Returning the money to the general fund (the pot of dollars controlled by the mayor and used to pay police salaries, keep libraries and swimming pools open, fill potholes and other basic city services and needs): Darrell L. Clarke; W. Wilson Goode Jr.; William K. Greenlee; Jim Kenney; Donna Reed Miller; and Verna.
That so far means the general fund will grow by $14,403 in fiscal 2012, which begins Friday.
One member, Marian B. Tasco, has redirected her COLA to the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, as she has in the past.
Three members are keeping the COLA, including two who will be leaving office in early January: Frank Rizzo and Frank DiCicco. The third is Maria Quinones Sanchez.
Mayor Nutter will also not accept the COLA to which he is entitled, said Budget Director Rebecca Rhynhart. He will in the new fiscal year continue to cut his salary by 10 percent and take two weeks of unpaid furlough, making his effective salary $170,935. That leaves the mayor on track to continue to give back more of his salary than any other local elected official.
Rhynhart said Nutter's Cabinet members and department commissioners would also not be receiving cost-of-living increases.
The COLAs result from a 2003 city law that requires elected officials' salaries to grow yearly according to the annual rise each June 30 in the Consumer Price Index.
This is the first time in two years that members would receive a COLA since the Consumer Price Index in Philadelphia in June 2009 was below zero.
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What ......Maria Sanchez is the "ONLY" council member who is "KEEPING" the pay raise. DICicco & Rizzo are leaving office. ALL the other council members are returning the money. TELL ME, IS ANYONE SURPRISED? NO !!!!! Maria turned out to be one of the biggest thugs & liars during this past election with her buddies Carlos Matos & the Tartagliones. She is a disgrace. I hope the DN & Inquirer choke on their endorsements of her from last election. Ms. Gilbert, how come you didn't go after Sanchez on this. Maria doesn't care since she has no one running against her come November. Sanchez just keeps going downhill especially in ethics & integrity.— ih8liars- Like Commissioner Ramsey needs a COLA this year. He just got a $60,000 per year raise.— Smokey
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- Must be nice to get a raise. City workers haven't been given one since Nutter became mayor and promised a fair contract when he was running for first term. Then said he wouldn't run again if homicide rate wasn't slashed in half. Another lie. Then he said before running for second term NO NEW TAXES, then taxes homeowners twice. The residency requirement was lifted for police but not other unions because of schools. How about all of this violence. City workers are stuck with higher medical deductions(pay cut) and can't move from all of this violence. Where's the justice? Look how quick Mayor Nutter sticks it to the City workers (tax increase) for incompetent Ackerman. Will he ever give a raise to "his" workers or a bonus to pay for higher medical deductions or real estate tax increases during his 8 year term where he will take home over ONE MILLION TAXPAYERS DOLLARS????? Probably not because he is not a man of his word. His word is MUD. Good luck attracting businesses to the City when businesses are not paying their taxes now because Revenue Dept. can't collect Billions owed already. Why should anyone pay City Taxes??— Politico1
- Can somebody please tell me how all these insane salaries are decided upon? And can it be stopped?— JeetYet
- The story identifies teh COLA choice for 10 council members. What are the other 7 members of council doing about COLA?— dafla67
- They will say that the LAW requires them to keep the raise.— DoomsdayCritic
- Nutter should give back he hasn't done anything in 3 yrs.— nonshad
- WHY IS IT THAT THEY GET A COLA AND SS PERSONS HAVE GOTTEN NOTHING FOR 2 YEARS. I WANT TO USE PHILLYS FORMULA SO I CAN GET A COLA.
PHILLY THE DETROIT OF THE EAST.— WCJRJR - Comment removed.
- Remember this $120.000 is for a part-time city position since most of the council-members have other employment.Yes $120,000 pay, full benefits, Drop,COLA, a car and other perks like 12 weeks vacation for part time work— republicancrow
- Sanchez is learning a thing or two about greed, arrogance and entitlement from her DROP Queen mentor Marian Tasco. Where is the shared sacrifice Rizzo, DiCicco and Sanchez? City employees have gone 4 years without a raise. So can you drones. Marcia Gelbart is not going to go after anyone. That would put her prized access to the elected officials she covers in jeopardy. Gelbart, Shields, Hill and Catherine Lucy of the Daily News are thrilled that their boy Nutter will be crowned king in November. Makes their jobs much easier. They are not journalists. They are cheerleaders.— Serpico
- sanchez u don't deserve 120 cents, now u will contrive a 100% latino district. are u getting ur husband another contract u do not belong in city council u should be on a pig farm— the commodore
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- Will City Council members keep the raise?... Do pigs eat slop?— DonQ
- $120K w/summers off. Guaranteed DROP money. Hire my mistress as Executive ASSistant for $90K...Vote for Monk in November!!! I want some of dat stuff...yo. Write me in y'all.— The Monk
- Pigs at the trough. But the idiots keep voting for them.— hititwheretheyaint
- SANCHEZ U KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT U ur actions seem to make u a member of the oldest profession, how do u vote to raise our taxes and do this u must be learning from the DROP QUEEN PIG TASCO.— the commodore
- DROP QUEEN PIG TASCO u are a despicable alleged human being i will attend every council meeting u will never be council president just count ur money u disqusting greedy pig, suggestion u are probably 80 to 85 years old travel and spend before u can't walk— the commodore
- Where is the raise or COLA for the city workers both non rep and union. This is crazy. We all get told to go see the secretary Helen Wait.— Nancy88
- When are we going to learn, Council doesn't work for it's constituents!!! They work for the PAC's, and SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, and THEMSELVES!!! They could care less whether we like it or not, that they take a pay raise. While their constituents are unemployed, and not receiving any pay!!!— Dadair1
- Philadelphians are only getting what they voted for.— Francis J Graff
- Council can't change their salary (including COLA) while in office. The question is: Why don't they reject the raise and propose legislation to eliminate the COLA? I already wrote to my councilman and all at large. You can too. http://www.phila.gov/cityCouncil/— T
- This is a no brainer for the greediest people in the city, i introduce to you City Council of Philadelphia, everyone else are just second class.........— sgarcia
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