Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego
There are few things that tick off the electorate more than self-serving politicians. That can come in a number of different forms, but one particular form that seems to truly get under the skin of voters is giving themselves pay raises. After all, the optics are horrible…pulling strings to give yourself more money never looks good.
But not all such cases are bad; on occasion, it can be largely positive. Enter one such case in Phoenix.
Phoenix City Councilmembers and Mayor Kate Gallego will receive a pay raise going forward; 25% for city council and 18% for the mayor. It is worth noting that this did not originate from them, but instead from a commission of residents appointed by the council.
And you know what? Good. Let me explain…
First of all, let’s consider the financials. It had been the first pay raise since 2006…18 years. Considering inflation, $1 in 2006 is worth $1.56 today, so in order to fully accommodate for inflation those 25% and 18% increases are a relative bargain. And considering the inflation of the last few years, dang near every municipality should be boosting pay as well.
But let’s also consider talent and recruitment. Before this pay increase, the salary for a Phoenix City Councilman, someone who is supposed to have a full understanding of and be responsive to the needs of a 65-square mile territory and over 200,000 people, was a mere $61,600. What sort of talent can you possibly recruit for that? It only makes sense for those who are retired, independently wealthy, or simply want to climb up the ranks politically and are willing to make sacrifices to get that ring.
Let’s be honest, if we want the best and brightest to be leading our government, compensation matters. Government will never compete with the private sector in this regard save a few particular roles, but the pay can’t be embarrassingly low for a serious professional either.
So kudos to Phoenix for acting reasonably and taking a leadership role in something that needs to be more widespread considering the last few years. Now let’s talk about the Arizona Legislature and its ridiculously low $24,000 salary…