Council wants to give back raise, but how? | Philly

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Thursday, July 9, 2009

Council wants to give back raise, but how?

Marian Tasco wants to give her COLA to a private charity

Link: Council wonders what to do with their pay raise [Daily News]

The total amount for increases for all 17 members comes to $100,463. Twelve members received a $5,758 raise on their annual $112,223 salaries. Council's five leadership posts pay more, so their raises were slightly more.

Council President Anna Verna declined to comment after meeting with eight of her colleagues, but said through a spokesman that they reached consensus on not keeping the raise. No final decision has been made because the Council members are debating what to do next.

Three scenarios emerged from the meeting. Council could donate the raises to the city's general fund since an elected official's salary can't be decreased during his term. Council members could donate the money to a favorite charity. Or Council could donate the money to one charity.

Council Majority Leader Marian Tasco said that she likes the individual charity option because money donated to the general fund "tends to get lost in the sauce." That money can't be targeted for one project or cause, she said.

"You never know where it's going to go," Tasco said.

Reporters were barred from entering the meeting despite the presence of a Council quorum, Tasco said, because the pay raise discussion is a "personal issue."

Council members must determine how to deal with the tax implications of the raise, since their salaries will reflect a 5.13 percent increase even if they give it up.

"I don't want to take it," Councilman Frank DiCicco said. "I have to figure out how to not take it and not be penalized for it."

Posted by Ben Waxman @ 2:06 PM Permalink | 7 comments

Comments

Posted 05:53 PM, 07/09/2009

principled

Yeah, Give it back. But what about all the other elected officials. The Judges, the Mayor, city controller, Lynn Abraham, and all the rest.

Posted 06:15 PM, 07/09/2009

CleanupPhilly

There's no reason you can't pass legislation that allows the salary of elected officials to be decreased. That is absurd. This is far from a "personal" issue -- it's a right to know issue that is part of the public record. Does Tasco or Verna even get that Harrisburg is not going to pass the sales tax increase? Likely the pension payment delay and refinance will also not fly. Council has to direct the BRT to implement AVI and introduce legislation to change the millage, or whole hunks of the city will have to close down. If they don't move to fix property tax collection, assessment, and collect forfeit bail, among other issues now, Nutter will order the closure of rec centers, health centers, selling the Dell and other vacant unused city property to the highest bidder. Rip Van Council needs to wake up from its long nap. Your city is about to shut down.

Posted 06:17 PM, 07/09/2009

CleanupPhilly

Council is diddling about this pay raise, and the whole city is facing paralysis. Huge chunks of city workers are about to laid off, or fired outright. Whole city programs in existence for generations are about to dry up and blow away.

Posted 06:19 PM, 07/09/2009

CleanupPhilly

Council can't cope with reality -- Plan C is imminent, or worse. The city they think they know is already gone.

Posted 05:38 AM, 07/10/2009

verve

It's neat how when they want something, they can find a way around the rules. Like retiring, getting their money, and getting rehired the next day. Or the way the housing agency got around various rules. But suddenly, "it's against the rules to reduce salary" is a non-breakable, iron-clad law. What's going to happen if they reduce their salaries? Will they be arrested for good fiscal management?

Posted 08:11 AM, 07/10/2009

MomInPhilly

Was this a lump sum amount? If so, deduct same in bi-weely increments so it goes back into the Treasury. If not a lump sum, stop payments with their next check and have them pay what they already received in the same bi-weekly deduction manner. In addition, I don't see why these bastions of integrity cannot also decreases their salary, like so many consitutents have had to do, in addition the the perks they receive that the city cannot afford. Common Sense.

Posted 09:51 AM, 07/10/2009

Soldier

What really amazes me is that so few Philadelphians are outraged, that city counsel members incomes are greater than the soldiers fighting and dying in both our wars. There are also members of the military who are on food stamps. I guess only those of us with a military connection, really care.

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