They’ve pay FOMO.
Envious Albany lawmakers are eyeing giving themselves fats pay hikes after a equally self-serving transfer by New York Metropolis Council members, insiders mentioned.
The Metropolis Council inflated their very own salaries to $175,000, excess of the $142,000 that lawmakers within the state Legislature make in a yr.
The increase toppled New York state Meeting and state Senate members off their perch because the highest-paid lawmakers within the Empire State.
“We’re not anymore, the Metropolis Council is,” one state Meeting member instructed The Put up.
The Massive Apple pay increase might arrange a domino impact in Albany, the place lawmakers final gave themselves a bump throughout a particular session in December 2022 that Gov. Kathy Hochul authorised, insiders mentioned.
The legislature must come again for an additional winter particular session to approve potential hikes for the following session — a prospect that Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie mentioned isn’t but on the radar.
Heastie, nonetheless, left it open for state lawmakers to repeat their 2022 antics.
“I don’t know if there’s sufficient cash that would pay for the sacrifices that legislators make,” Heastie instructed Politico final week. “Six months of the yr, you’re away from your loved ones. So, I’m at all times supportive of members getting paid.”
Albany lawmakers’ final self-enriching increase made them the highest-compensated state legislators within the nation.
Whereas the latest Metropolis Council pay hike eclipsed the state legislature’s present salaries, it’s nonetheless chump change in comparison with the whopping as much as $270,000 a yr that Los Angeles Metropolis Council members make.
Solely Republicans and conservative Democrats opposed the hike within the 42-6 vote, with Council Speaker Julie Menin, a millionaire, abstaining.
Menin and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose wage would additionally go as much as $305,800, each made a present of promising they received’t settle for the bumps. The pay stage, nonetheless, would come with the bump for his or her successors.
The council bump set off waves of keeping-up-with-the-Joneses chatter in Albany, the place a invoice by state Sen. James Sanders (D-Queens) to hike legislator pay to $180,000 was quietly launched early this yr.
One state lawmaker griped to The Put up that the Metropolis Council gave itself raises proper after Albany forked over billions of {dollars} to assist New York Metropolis claw itself out of an enormous price range gap.
However different lawmakers considered the time as ripe for raises, albeit after a brief wait.
“Even when we’re going to do it, you’re not going to listen to a phrase about it till November,” a state Meeting member mentioned.
Assemblyman Tony Simone (D-Manhattan) contended elevating pay would draw better-quality candidates.
“It’s vital to make sure that legislative salaries are sufficient to draw numerous and certified representatives from all walks of life,” he mentioned.
Evaluating Metropolis Council salaries to legislative ones isn’t an apples-to-apples comparability, argued Rachael Fauss, a senior coverage adviser with the Reinvent Albany good authorities group.
She famous metropolis council members usually are not allowed to gather an out of doors revenue, however state lawmakers are allowed as much as 25% — or $35,500.
Reinvent Albany has referred to as for a 15% cap on exterior revenue.
“I feel as a result of the state’s exterior revenue that’s allowed are nonetheless excessive, that basically must be addressed first,” Fauss mentioned.
An impartial fee ought to finally determine lawmakers’ pay, Fauss mentioned.
And lots of Albany lawmakers already successfully gave themselves a pay increase earlier this yr once they authorised reforms tied to Tier 6 pensions.
Out of 213 lawmakers, 75 are Tier 6 pensioners and now should pay much less into their retirement, in line with The Metropolis Reporter.
