Last Word

The Rotterdam Town Board wanted a raise. I opposed it. It didn’t pass.

The Town Board decided to form a committee to study and recommend pay raises. I opposed it. It passed anyway.

It is inevitable that a pay raise for Town Board members will be passed in the next budget regardless of whatever suggestions might come out of the committee.

Part of the logic being used to advocate for the pay raise is based in a belief that greater pay will result in attracting better qualified candidates for office. Fortunately, there is a very prominent example for us to examine to determine if that belief is valid. Our own New York State Legislature is maneuvering to give themselves a pay raise too. Yes, the very same dysfunctional body responsible for perpetually late budgets and highest-in-the-nation tax levies. Their desires for a raise aside, let’s take a look at their existing gig.

The base pay for a state legislator is $79,500. That’s second only to Michigan and California and compares with an average salary in New York of about $45,820.

Each legislator also gets $8,800 for attending the January to June session plus per diem expenses. Special committee days draw $143 per day. More than half also get anywhere from a few thousand to more than $30,000 more in stipends for additional committee posts. Add it all up and most are making $100,000 or more.

Now I don’t mean to compare apples to oranges by comparing our Town Board members to State Legislators which of course, is what I’m doing isn’t it? My point is that we offer quite a nice premium package to our state officials for delivering late budgets and ever-increasing taxes. We’ve certainly attracted the best-of-the-best with higher compensation on that front, haven’t we?

The underlying default claim to a raise is how hard they work. I’ll grant them that claim. They work hard. We all do. If only that was enough for demanding more money. No one forces someone to run for elected office and assume the associated pitfalls of the personal sacrifices made in order to serve.

I hope this is my last word on this subject.


Facts and figures credited to Michael Gormley, The Associated Press