Rep. Costa: No Raise This Year, Again, Please.

Rep. Doreen Costa, a Republican who represents North Kingstown and Exeter, once again will decline the pay raise due to go into effect for lawmakers on July 1.

“I am honored to work on behalf of all of my constituents and since being elected to serve them in 2010, I have never accepted a legislative pay increase,” Costa said in a press release.

Legislators who don’t decline the increase will see 1.6 percent more in their annual salary, which will be $15,414.26. The total increase will be $242.71 per year.

The House Speaker and Senate President get double the salary in Rhode Island.

The increase is based on the consumer price index.

The Providence Journal’s Katherine Gregg reported that in some years, fluctuations in the CPI has resulted in pay cuts. In the most recent economic downturn, for example, the pay dipped as low as $13,962.55 in 2010 before ticking upwards again.

Legislators were notified of the increase on Tuesday by the state’s legislative business office. In the email notification, they were told to have letters drafted to decline the increase if they so choose “as soon as possible.”