WESTFIELD – The Legislative & Ordinance Committee, comprised of Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy, chair; Ward 4 Councilor Mary O’Connell and Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski met on Tuesday to discuss the motion of Council President Brent B. Bean, II and At-large Councilor Dave Flaherty to raise the salary of the city councilors by $3,000. Flaherty and At-large Councilor Dan Allie were also in attendance at the meeting.
L&O Committee members Mary O’Connell, Ralph J. Figy, chair and William Onyski.
“Instead of laying out out the money, do you want to do a percentage?” asked O’Connell.
“Brent and I have discussed this for several years. Last time, I killed it, because I didn’t think we were doing right by the budget. Now I think we are,” Flaherty said.
He said the total increase would be only ($39,000) out of a $125 million city budget.
Flaherty said he did comparisons with similar-sized cities in the Commonwealth. Westfield councilors receive $10,000 per year. Salem councilors receive $12,000; Holyoke and Brockton, $15,000. In Chicopee, councilors are paid $12,000 to $14,250, depending on their duties and chairmanships. In Everett, which Flaherty said is very comparable to Westfield, Councilors receive $19,000 per year, and in Springfield, $19,500. Worcester topped the list, with councilors receiving $31,444 per year.
Flaherty said he would like to offer the following proposal for Westfield: $13,000 salary in 2018, $13,500 in 2020, $14,000 in 2022, $14,500 in 2024, and $15,000 in 2026. He said that amounts to a 1.65% per year increase. He said the next councilors, following the election, would receive the increases.
“I don’t think it’s unfair. We all spend a ton of time. Ralph spends a lot of time on the L&O, and the Finance Committee spends hundreds of hours,” Flaherty said, adding, “The hourly rate for me is less than I would make in overtime.”
“This makes sense to me,” Figy said.
“I think it’s fair given what we’re trying to do with the city budget, keeping it under 2%,” Flaherty added.
O’Connell said she was in agreement but wanted to talk it out with the committee, hoping for a unanimous recommendation.
“I don’t want to vote for it. I feel that I took the job knowing it wasn’t going to be a money maker,” Onyski said.
“Where I’m coming from, I’ve been doing this for 12 years,” O’Connell responded, whereas this is Onyski’s first two-year term as city councilor. O’Connell said she spends more than the $222 a month she takes home on gas and supplies.
“If you don’t want the money, you can donate it,” Flaherty said to Onyski, which he said many councilors did when he first started, and some still do. He explained that O’Connell, like some of the other councilors, has health insurance taken out, which is why her net pay is lower.
“Believe me, they are all valid reasons,” Onyski said.
“All right, you’re against it. I just don’t want to get in a debate on the floor,” O’Connell said.
Allie asked whether the question had been complicated by adding the step increases.
O’Connell then made the motion to recommend the step increases for city councilors. The motion passed with a 2-1 positive recommendation, and will go for a first reading at the City Council meeting on Thursday, January 19.
