NEW YORK, NY— New York City's top elected officials are getting their first pay raise in nearly a decade, but Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin say they will not accept the additional money.
The City Council approved legislation Thursday increasing salaries for the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, City Council members, borough presidents and district attorneys.
The measure passed 42-6, with Menin abstaining.
The raises follow recommendations from the city's Quadrennial Advisory Commission, which reviews compensation for elected officials every four years.
The legislation also changes the timing of future salary review commissions, moving them to the third year of an elected official's term.
Mamdani said New Yorkers have made clear that increasing the mayor's salary is not a priority.
"I will not accept a pay raise," Mamdani said at a Thursday news conference. "I haven't knocked on anyone's door in New York City, and they've said that their concern is that the mayor makes too little."
Menin also said she will decline the increase to the speaker's salary.
The raises mark the first salary adjustment for New York City's elected officials since 2016. During that period, cumulative inflation exceeded 30 percent, according to federal inflation data.
| Office | Previous Salary | New Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | $258,750 | $305,800 |
| Public Advocate | $184,800 | $218,400 |
| Comptroller | $209,050 | $247,100 |
| City Council Member | $164,500 | $175,500 |
The City Charter requires an independent advisory commission to periodically review elected officials' compensation and recommend whether salaries should change.
The commission concluded this year that salaries had not kept pace with inflation or changes in responsibilities since the last increase in 2016.
The Council adopted most of the commission's recommendations.
Supporters of the raises argued that elected officials had not received a salary increase since 2016, even as the cost of living climbed sharply.
Since then, cumulative inflation has exceeded 30 percent, while rents, groceries, child care and other household expenses have continued to rise across the city.
For many New Yorkers, housing remains the biggest challenge.
The median asking rent for a market-rate apartment in Manhattan is about $4,500 a month, while Brooklyn and northwest Queens regularly exceed $3,500.
Child care for one infant can cost more than $2,000 a month, according to state and city estimates.
The salary increases place every citywide elected official well above the income needed to afford those costs.
Financial planners generally recommend spending no more than 30 percent of gross income on housing.
| Office | Before Raise | After Raise |
|---|---|---|
| Mayor | $6,469/month | $7,645/month |
| Public Advocate | $5,406/month | $6,390/month |
| Comptroller | $5,406/month | $6,390/month |
| Borough President | $5,406/month | $6,390/month |
| City Council Member | $4,113/month | $4,388/month |
Editor's Note: Monthly housing budgets assume spending no more than 30 percent of gross annual salary on housing before taxes and other deductions. Mayor Mamdani lives in Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, and does not pay rent for the residence. The salary figures above reflect the compensation approved for the office and do not account for the value of city-provided housing.
No.
Although the legislation increases the salaries attached to each office, individual officeholders can choose not to accept the additional compensation.
Mamdani publicly pledged to refuse the raise, saying the money should instead support New Yorkers struggling with the cost of living.
Menin also announced she would decline the increase to her salary as speaker.
The legislation establishes the new salary levels for the affected offices and changes when future compensation commissions will meet, shifting reviews from the first year of an elected term to the third year.
Unless individual officials decline the increase, the new salaries will take effect under the schedule outlined in the legislation.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
New York City, NY Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.