Tuesday, July 7, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation
The Committee on Governmental Operations, State & Federal Legislation, chaired by Gale A. Brewer, held a hearing on a preconsidered introduction (sponsored by Deputy Speaker Williams) to increase compensation for the Mayor, Public Advocate, City Council members, borough presidents, comptroller, and district attorneys by 18.2%, codifying the recommendations of the Quadrennial Advisory Commission, which released its report June 23. The commission chair, Carl Weisbrod, explained that the 18.2% figure reflected cost-of-living increases since January 2022, and defended the commission model over automatic inflation adjustments. Representatives of Citizens Union and Reinvent Albany supported the 18.2% raise and the commission reforms but opposed the proposed automatic inflation-adjusted backstop, arguing it would eliminate the incentive to convene future commissions and cut off public input. A member of the public testified in support of the raises and urged allowing outside income and larger salaries. No vote was held during the transcript.
0:22 Morning thanks.
0:22 Hello hello good morning
0:25 welcome to today's New York
0:26 City Council hearing for the
0:28 committee on governmental
0:31 operations state and federal
0:33 legislation at this time
0:34 please silence all phones and
0:37 electronic devices if you wish
0:38 to speak in today's hearing
0:39 please fill out on a parent's
0:41 card with one of the sergeants
0:43 moving forward no one is t
0:46 oapproach the dez chair you
0:49 begin.
0:49 Thank you very much so I am
0:52 gail Brewer chair of the
0:53 committee on government
0:54 operations state and federal
0:56 legislation thank you everyone
0:58 for joining particularly
0:59 interns and children those are
1:00 the best
1:01 . I would like to welcome
1:03 elected officials member of
1:04 the public and any City
1:06 council colleagues who have
1:07 joined us today particularly
1:09 council members wayne
1:11 councilmember Wilson we will
1:12 be hearing deputy speaker
1:14 williams's bill which we are
1:16 hearing as a pre considered
1:19 introduction it would increase
1:20 the compensation of the Mayor
1:22 public advocate members of the
1:24 City Council both presidents
1:26 comptroller and district
1:28 attorneys all the d a have a
1:30 different system elected
1:31 official pay is set up by
1:33 local law but under our city's
1:36 administrative code the Mayor
1:37 is required to appoint a
1:39 commission to review the
1:41 compensation levels of elected
1:43 officials every four years.
1:44 And make recommendations t
1:47 othe council the design and
1:48 function of this quadrangle
1:51 commission is meant to create
1:54 regularity in the review of
1:55 elected official.
1:56 Salaries however with the
1:58 exception of the as I said
2:01 earlier.
2:01 The last time City elected
2:04 officials received a raise was
2:05 back in 26.
2:06 Mayor De blasio failed t
2:09 oimpanel the required
2:10 commission in 20 20 May
2:12 because of the pandemic who
2:14 knows
2:14 . And adams subsequently t
2:17 oconvene one in 20 24 although
2:21 Mayor bloomberg didn't do much
2:24 either
2:24 . This 10 year gap is the
2:25 longest that City officials
2:27 have gone without a raise in
2:28 the 40 years since the
2:30 commissions.
2:31 Framework has been in place
2:33 . Over that time salaries of
2:34 New York elected officials
2:35 have failed to keep pace with
2:38 inflation and with the
2:38 salaries of elected officials
2:39 across the country
2:42 . Legislators and other placesh
2:45 los angeles I was on the
2:46 border of the national league
2:47 of cities so I got to hear a
2:48 lot from other cities l a has
2:51 a completely different system
2:52 they do get paid more but they
2:54 are stronger so week weak
2:55 Mayor they're only nine
2:56 members members in La but
2:59 chicago has the same number 5
3:02 051 members and much smaller
3:03 they get paid more.
3:06 And philadelphia definitely
3:07 gets paid more and definitely
3:08 smaller all those cities have
3:11 much smaller budgets and
3:14 smaller workforces.
3:15 These stagnant wages not
3:17 only affect elected officials
3:19 . For non executive roles and
3:21 elected officials salary
3:22 serves as a cap on the
3:23 salaries of those employees
3:25 for work who work for them in
3:27 some cases keeping those
3:29 salaries artificially low this
3:31 keeps the City from offering
3:33 competitive wages which can
3:34 prevent us from being able t
3:36 oattract the best and brightest
3:38 to crucial City jobs I will
3:39 say that staff however in the
3:42 mayor's office and the
3:43 speaker's office and maybe
3:44 elsewhere is higher often than
3:47 the elected officials
3:49 . Low salaries for elected
3:50 officials can also negatively
3:52 influence who is even able t
3:53 orun for office.
3:55 Being an elected official in
3:56 New York City is a challenging
3:58 and demanding 24 7 job no áááá .
4:03 French and elected officials
4:05 should be able to support
4:06 themselves and their families
4:07 on their government salary
4:09 wilt thou having to rely on
4:10 family or other outside income
4:12 if salaries are too low only
4:14 wealthy individuals will be
4:16 able to run in of this year
4:19 shortly after taking office.
4:20 The Mayor along with the
4:23 speaker much thanks to the
4:25 speaker however in house the
4:27 formation of the quadri anil.
4:30 Advisory commission t
4:31 oreview compensation levels for
4:33 elected officials
4:33 . The commission released its
4:35 findings in a report on jun
4:39 e23 of this year.
4:40 It recommended an increase
4:41 in the salaries from the Mayor r
4:45 by presidents City Council
4:47 members and d by 18.2% all of
4:50 the have a different system
4:51 based on other judiciales.
4:54 In addition to the pay
4:56 increase the commission also
4:57 made several other
5:00 recommendations regarding
5:01 elected official pay
5:03 . They recommended actually
5:04 convening the commission every
5:07 four years and altering the
5:09 timing of future commissions
5:11 so that they will occur during
5:13 the third year of a four year
5:16 term of office rather than the
5:19 first year along with
5:20 requiring that any
5:22 compensation increases
5:23 . Not take effect until the
5:24 beginning of the next term.
5:27 The commission also
5:29 recommended giving future
5:31 commissions a hundred 20 days
5:34 instead of the current 75 days
5:36 to complete their work.
5:38 Additionally the commission
5:40 recommended that if salaries
5:42 for the covered elected
5:42 offices remain unchanged
5:45 during the four year term they
5:47 should automatically increase
5:49 by 2% per year or the actual
5:52 inflation rate whichever is
5:53 lower this will ensure regular
5:56 pay raises for elected
5:59 officials this pro preconcert
6:00 in control that we are hearing
6:03 today would codify these
6:06 recommendations.
6:07 We thank the members of the
6:08 commission for their service
6:11 in particular call widespread
6:13 larry and angel and dr lily
6:16 embarrassed haley all friends
6:17 of mine for about 40 years.
6:19 All oh geez that's why I
6:20 like them before I conclude
6:22 I'd like to thank the
6:23 following counsel staff for
6:25 their work from the government
6:27 operations
6:28 . To harry frazer Eric coen
6:31 cynthia morning.d and f
6:37 everyone in the background I
6:38 also appreciate.
6:39 So so much and I don't know
6:42 if we have a council Williams
6:44 is not here but but council
6:46 member dina wittes is here
6:47 also I very much.
6:48 So now I think we will turn
6:49 it over to the community
6:51 council to administer the oath
6:52 after we call let's read this
6:55 first to oh god is I now open
6:56 the hearing for the public
6:59 testimony public should know
7:00 that this is a government
7:02 proceeding and the doric orum
7:03 will be observed at all times
7:05 members of the public shall
7:06 remain silent at all times the
7:08 witness table is reserved for
7:10 people who wish to testify no
7:13 video or photography is
7:14 allowed from the witness table
7:16 members of the public not
7:18 present audio or video
7:21 recordings as testimony but
7:22 submit transcripts or such
7:24 recordings for the sergeant
7:26 and arms or inclusion in the
7:28 hearing record if you'd like
7:29 to speak fill out an
7:31 appearance card with the
7:32 wonderful sergeant at arms and
7:34 wait to be recognized you will
7:36 have three minutes to speak on
7:38 today's hearing topic although
7:39 you can speak much longer if
7:40 you want compensation it's a
7:43 topic of the Mayor public
7:46 advocate City Council borough
7:47 presidents comptroller and
7:49 district attorneys we have a
7:50 written statement or written
7:52 written testimony you wish t
7:53 ocement please provide a copy
7:55 of that testimony to the
7:56 sergeant in arms before those
7:58 on zoom he also email written
8:01 testimony to testimony at
8:03 counsel dot dot gov within 7
8:04 2hours of the clause of the
8:07 hearing audio and video
8:08 recordings will not be
8:10 accepted and obviously if
8:11 you're here and you want t
8:12 ospeak you are going to be
8:16 called up I would like to call
8:17 up col weiss brad who
8:18 . Was the of the of the thank
8:19 so much okay thank you Madam
8:34 chair and members of the
8:35 committee I just really here.
8:38 Thank you for embracing our
8:41 recommendations I just want to
8:43 stress one particula
8:44 rrecommendation which is the
8:46 importance of the council and
8:48 the Mayor
8:50 . Making recommendations on
8:52 compensation for the following
8:55 counsel ah ah then the one
8:56 that makes the recommendation
8:58 so it was a very important of
9:02 ours we I hope created an
9:04 incentive for the Mayor t
9:07 ocall a commission ah so that
9:09 we won't go through the
9:14 inordinate unconscionable
9:15 unconscionable really 10 year
9:16 gaps between um one
9:22 recommendation for
9:22 compensation and the next and
9:25 with that I just wanted t
9:26 othank you and I have no
9:29 further statements we
9:30 submitted our report to you
9:33 and um thank you for your
9:34 consideration of it.
9:35 Well thank you I think we
9:36 have some questions I'm sure
9:37 my colleagues do too I have a
9:38 few I do want to thank you for
9:40 your service you must not be
9:43 the most decorated commission
9:45 person in the united states of
9:46 america and you've done such a
9:47 great job on every commission.
9:49 You have served on and
9:52 you're
9:53 . A true newyorker call what
9:54 feeling is mutual Madam
9:55 . Chair yes you well no well
9:56 really appreciate it.
9:57 I guess one of my questions
9:58 I know that you had the number
10:01 that you came up with in terms
10:02 of the 18.2% a you talked
10:06 about the fact that it should
10:07 be applicable to the next a
10:09 group not the
10:10 . Card so my guess want t
10:12 oknow is how do you how do you
10:14 reach that figure what was the
10:16 thinking behind that.
10:17 Thinking and our
10:20 recommendation was given the
10:22 inordinate unconscionable
10:23 period of time between the
10:25 last recommendation for
10:26 compensation and this one that
10:29 our recommendation of 18.2%
10:32 across the board for all
10:33 elected officials going back
10:35 based on their compensation in
10:41 20 16 um um ah effective as a
10:48 January 2026 and that future
10:49 commissions be called are two
10:51 years into a mayoral term and
10:54 the recommendations of those
10:57 commissions should be
11:00 effective if approved by the
11:02 council for the following term
11:04 of the council so the next
11:07 commission should be in our
11:08 view called in 20 2
11:14 8recommendations made within a
11:16 hundred 20 days and whatever
11:17 is enacted by the council
11:19 would then take effect in
11:24 January 2030 and every fou
11:25 ryears thereafter we came up
11:26 with our 18.2% because that
11:32 represents the um a increase
11:33 in the cost of living since
11:38 January 2022 when the vast
11:40 majority of current elected
11:43 officials in fact I think just
11:45 about all except for the
11:49 district attorneys commenced
11:51 their first a four year term
11:53 year term um I should note
11:55 that the actual um cost of
12:00 living since the last.
12:02 Increase was in 20 16 has
12:04 been significantly higher than
12:06 that but we felt that all
12:10 elected officials took office
12:11 with the understanding that
12:13 what their salaries would be
12:15 in January 2022 and as you
12:17 know we have gone through a a
12:22 period of intense inflation
12:24 and it is on that basis that
12:26 we reached our 18.2.
12:28 Percent and I would also
12:31 just note that while New York
12:32 City is the largest City in
12:35 the country um the most
12:37 complex City in the country
12:39 for sure the proposed salaries
12:42 of the Mayor is still less
12:44 than those in some other
12:46 cities even if these when
12:48 these recommendations are
12:49 approved if we help they as we
12:50 hope they will be and the
12:53 proposed salaries of council
12:58 members will still be behind a
13:01 couple of other major cities
13:02 in the country even though
13:03 council members here with the
13:05 exception of los angeles have
13:08 many more constituents than
13:11 council members elsewhere in
13:12 the country
13:12 . By thank you and then why
13:14 would I know this was a
13:16 request of a Council Member
13:19 proposed the legislation but
13:20 why would you make it
13:21 retroactive to.
13:23 January 26 the legislation
13:26 that we were dealing with
13:27 calls for it to be retroactive
13:32 to January 26 we contemplated
13:34 for July 20 26 but we felt
13:40 again given the long interim
13:43 between the last increase in
13:45 this increase this proposed
13:49 increase ah we should respect
13:51 the law as written
13:53 . Ok and then obviously you
13:55 recommended more time 120 days
13:58 and I guess considered 75 in
13:59 the past I don't even know if
14:01 you had 75 days I don't know
14:02 how much time you had um not
14:04 much and so the question is.
14:06 Where are there things you
14:07 would have liked to consider
14:08 if you had more time.
14:11 We would have much we were
14:15 extremely.
14:16 Fortunate because within
14:16 that 75 we did do it within 7
14:19 5days we submitted our report
14:21 exactly on the 75 day um we
14:26 were extremely fortunate to
14:31 have been able to utilize the
14:35 resources of ah City
14:37 universities institute for
14:38 state and local governance t
14:42 odo extensive analytic work for
14:45 us and um managed to attract a
14:50 handful of other highly
14:52 confident people to work on
14:54 this with very very thin staff r
15:00 than a a help we got from from
15:03 the City universities
15:05 institute the state and local
15:08 government um without the
15:11 ability to have and the good
15:12 fortune to have attracted that
15:13 at the very beginning we would
15:15 never have been able to meet
15:17 our deadline and it usually as
15:20 you all know it's it's not
15:23 easy and it's not expeditious
15:27 usually to get uh um ah
15:32 resources on board through the
15:33 the City of New York
15:35 engagement process let me lay
15:37 it that way
15:37 . All right and then obviously
15:39 we don't want other mayors
15:41 other Mayor sue not convene
15:43 commission so you came up with
15:44 a way to do that in terms of
15:49 kicking in a way to deal with
15:52 the salary increase if in fact .
15:54 So you could if you could
15:55 talk about that a little bit
15:56 obviously tied to inflation
15:58 and I was just wondering
16:00 . Hopefully this won't kick in
16:02 because there'll be
16:03 commissions
16:04 . But can you just talk about
16:05 that a little bit we a number
16:08 of recommendations were made
16:10 to us a two reconstitute who
16:17 appoints members of the