Council OK's big raises for itself, mayor

Council OK's big raises for itself, mayor - The Boston Globe
After six minutes of debate and with no roll call vote, Boston city councilors approved 16.6 percent raises yesterday for themselves and the mayor.

The raises would increase the councilors' salaries from $75,000 a year to $87,500 and the mayor's annual pay from $150,000 to $175.000. Base pay for Massachusetts legislators is $55,570, with an additional $15,000 annually for those who chair legislative committees. The Massachusetts governor's salary is $135,000 annually.

According to data compiled by two national groups, Boston pays its mayor better than many cities in its size range. International City/County Management Association statistics show that in 2005, mayors of cities with 500,000 to 999,000 residents earned an average of $91,499.

Councilors passed the measure yesterday without first holding a public hearing on pay raises. The council's Government Operations Committee was scheduled to hold a hearing on the measure two weeks ago, but it was canceled.