In a party-line vote, City Council Republicans approved a salary increase for the New Britain mayor’s position from $87,634 to, apparently, $99,026.
While Republican Mayor Erin Stewart would have to win re-election in the 2021 city elections to get that raise, since it would take effect on November 9, 2021, it is widely believed that Stewart will, in fact, seek re-election.
In 2017, during the previous term of office when the Republicans were in control of the Council, the majority Republicans had also proposed an increase in the mayoral salary – a proposed a 23% increase that was set aside amid public opposition.
The current City Council, once again controlled by a Republican majority, has now approved a thirteen percent increase for the mayor and other city political positions.
The new mayoral salary would be appear to be $48,995 higher than the $50,031 estimated median average household income in New Britain in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
The median household income of $50,031 would mean that half of New Britain’s households lived at that income or lower in 2019. The raise would appear to make the mayoral salary nearly double, 198%, of the median average household income in New Britain.
Ald. Michael Thompson (R-4) defended the increases for mayor and other positions, also approved, saying that elected official positions getting the raises are “severely underpaid”, and that the raises were necessary, “to attract the appropriate people to run our cities.”
Ald. Francisco Santiago (D-5) and Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL) said that they would agree to modest increases, but raised concerns about a thirteen percent increase for the elected official positions, with economic hardships for many people from the pandemic and rising city debt.
The plan, introduced by Ald. Wilfredo Pabon (R-1) and Thompson will also increase salaries of the elected positions of Tax Collector and Town Clerk, as well as the position of Corporation Counsel, who is appointed by the mayor.
The salary plan was approved at the Council’s October 14, 2020 meeting by a 8 to 3 three vote, with Council members voting:
- Ald. Kristian Rosado (R-2) – yes
- Ald. Wilfredo Pabon (R-1) – yes
- Ald. Robert Smedley (R-4) – yes
- Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-AL) – no
- Ald. Francisco Santiago (D-5) – no
- Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL) – no
- Ald. Sharon Beloin-Saavedra (R-AL) – yes
- Ald. Howard Dyson (R-AL) – yes
- Ald. Kris Rutkowski (R-5) – yes
- Ald. Michael Thompson (R-4) – yes
- Ald. Daniel Salerno (R-AL) – yes
Under the approved plan, the salary of the part-time position of City Corporation Counsel will apparently increase from $31,978 to $36,135. The current Corporation Counsel, Gennaro Bizzarro, an appointee of Stewart, is also the State Senator for the Sixth District, which includes New Britain. The raise would only apply to Bizzarro if he is re-appointed by the mayor after the 2021 election.
Like Stewart, Tax Collector Cheryl Blogoslawski (R) and Town Clerk Mark Bernacki (R) would have to be re-elected in 2021 to receive the raises.
Blogoslawski’s current salary is $70,772 and her position will apparently receive a raise of $9,200 for a new level of $79,972. Bernacki’s current salary is $68,305 and his position will apparently receive a raise of $8,880, setting the salary at $77,185.
The lowest paid of the city’s full-time elected officials, the two city registrars of voters, Lucian Pawlak (D) and Peter Gostin (R), have salaries of $54,626. Their positions’ salaries will apparently increase to $61,727. Those raises would take effect January 5, 2021.
The proposal considered on October 14th was recommended earlier by the Council’s Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee had proposed a fifteen percent increase for the positions, which was reduced to thirteen percent in a different Council committee.
The approved salary increase resolution also says that, “The Compensation Committee does not recommend an increase for the positions of Common Council Members, Clerk of the Committees or Treasurer.” Clerk of Committees Matt Malinowski, who holds a part-time position, is listed with a salary of $11,718. The salary of City Treasurer Ron Jakubowski (D) is listed as $2,500. Members of the City Council have a salary of $3,500, except the President Pro-Tempore, Rosado, whose salary is $4,500.
The City Charter provides for a process in which the Council,
shall review, establish and Act upon in even-numbered years the rates of compensation for (1) the members of the succeeding Common Council, (2) the Mayor, (3) the Collector of Taxes, (4) the City and Town Clerk, (5) the Registrars of Voters, (6) the Corporation Counsel, (7) the Clerk of Committees, (8) the Treasurer and (9) other officers, department heads and employees subject to the provisions of the budget contract, collective bargaining agreement or other agreement.
City ordinances provide for the appointment of a Compensation Committee of the Council, to, “undertake a study in order to make a recommendation with respect to a salary adjustment for elected and appointed officials.”
Editor’s note (4/12/2022): The article was updated to clarify the apparent new mayoral salary as $99,026 rather than $99,407, as earlier published. The earlier calculation was based on the mayor’s salary in the Fiscal 2021 adopted city budget, which was apparently different from the salary listed in other fiscal year’s city budgets. The earlier mayor’s salary and other figures were updated, as well.
