City Council, citywide officials could get 18% raise

New York City elected officials now have cover to give themselves 18.2% raises after a commission released a report recommending that they do so. 

If taken up and approved by the City Council, it would be a big boost for city leaders – higher even than the 16% raise initially proposed by the legislative body last year. Mayor Zohran Mamdani theoretically would start making $305,800 instead of the current $258,750 (though he’s said he wouldn’t accept a raise in his first term). City Council members would get $175,500, up from their current $148,500 salary. City Council Speaker Julie Menin would make $194,400 instead of the current $164,500 (though she too has said she wouldn’t accept one). 

The report, quietly released by the three-person Quadrennial Advisory Commission on election day last week, comes roughly a decade after the independent panel was last convened to consider whether to give city elected officials a raise. The commission included former Economic Development Corporation President Carl Weisbrod, former Deputy Mayor Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, and economist Larian Angelo. Local leaders haven’t gotten one since 2016. 

Now, it seems like things could move quickly.  “The speaker has briefed council members on the commission's recommendations and is currently determining next steps,” Henry Robins, a spokesperson for the speaker’s office, said in a statement. “The Council expects to take up the issue with a vote later this summer.”

There’s a long history of elected officials’ pay raises sparking controversy. When everyday people are struggling with the cost of living, the concept of even more of their tax dollars being allocated to the pockets of their elected officials stirs strong emotions. Despite the fact that the City Charter requires the Quadrennial Advisory Commission to meet every four years to decide whether a salary increase is warranted, both former Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Mayor Eric Adams didn’t call one in their outgoing terms. Of course, elected officials have also been impacted by the rate of inflation growing 31% between 2016 and 2025 – a fact the report’s recommendation hinges on.

Shortly after taking office, Mamdani and Menin announced that they would once again convene the commission to review compensation levels for elected officials. This was billed as an alternative to City Council legislation proposed toward the end of Adams’ tenure that would have increased local leaders salaries by 16%. While members initially planned to pass the legislation in December, just before Mamdani was set to take office, they pivoted after learning of a quirk in city law barring the City Council from increasing salaries during the lame-duck period between Election Day and Jan. 1, the Daily News reported at the time. Clearly cognizant of the sensitive politics at play, both Menin and Mamdani, who come from wealthy families, have said they would not be taking a salary increase. 

The commission’s report is a return to historical precedent, and the report urges city officials to stick to it in the future. In addition to approving the 18.2% raise, the panel urged the City Council to pass a law to establish “an automatic inflation-tied increase of 2% per year or the actual inflation rate” – whichever was lowest – if the commission is not convened every four years as mandated. This, according to the report, would “prevent further erosion of salaries’ purchasing power if inflation continues.” 

Recommendations extend to other elected officials outside of the mayor and City Council. Comptroller Mark Levine’s salary would go from $209,050 to $247,100, borough presidents would get $211,800 instead of the current $179,200 and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams would make $218,400 – up from $184,800.

Asked for comment, Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for the mayor, referred City & State to an earlier statement about Mamdani’s personal stance on a raise. “The mayor has committed to not taking a pay raise during his first term,” she’d said.