Time for raises in Dover?

by: Jason Springer

Sun Dec 14, 2008 at 11:42:46 AM EST

Maybe they haven't read the latest headlines on foreclosures, cuts and job layoffs:

Dover's board of aldermen said they will consider Monday night whether to give themselves a 60 percent raise, or more than $3,000 more each year, and whether to give the mayor a 70 percent raise, an annual pay hike of nearly $5,000.

We're not talking huge sums of money, but talk about tone deaf. I hear from friends having difficulty filing for unemployment and they're voting themselves raises for part time jobs? I loved the justification too:

Alderman Michael Picciallo said the pay increase should not be considered a raise because it's less than the alderman received five years ago. He said the board and the mayor deserve salary increases because they work hard, put in extra hours and contribute money to town organizations.
"I'm not doing this to make money," said Picciallo, a business analyst for Cablevision. "I feel the more money I get, the more I can help the community ... whatever comes in goes out."

Not a raise, was he able to say that with a straight face? Should the people who are collecting unemployment not call it a pay cut because they made less before they got the job to be fired from? An on helping the community, the last time I went to serve meals at the food bank, they didn't charge me. If you want to help the community, do it. If you need more money, get another part time job that isn't on the taxpayers dime.

Alderman Fahy voted no and talked about what has been cut in the town recently:

Fahy agreed, saying the town has cut capital improvement projects and services like recycling and leaf pickups, "and now, all of a sudden we find this money for an almost 70 percent increase in the (mayor's) salary? I think it's ridiculous."
"It's not like we haven't had a raise and now we're trying to backtrack," Fahy added. "We've had raises over a period of time."

And don't forget, this will also get them a better deal in the pension system. The town has been considering consolidation, they've cut services and projects yet these guys are focused on putting some more money in their pockets? At the very least, this is bad timing.

Jason Springer :: Time for raises in Dover?