Newton Mayor Vetoes City Council Raise Proposal

NEWTON, MA — Mayor Ruthanne Fuller vetoed a City Council vote that would raise her salary along with those of City Council and School Committee members, criticizing the raises as just too big and a process that was started too late, and approved too quickly, she wrote in a letter to City Council Thursday evening.

“The Board Order approved by the City Council includes raises that are simply too large,
implemented too quickly and submitted for consideration at an inappropriate time in the budget
and election cycles,” she wrote in a letter to the City Council.

Still, Fuller said she thought the fact that city councilors, school committee members and the mayor have not had raises in two decades was "not appropriate" offered to work with the city council on another way to come to "appropriate compensation" for elected officials.

The veto comes after a month's long process complete with Blue Ribbon Commission recommendation that culminated last week in The Newton City Council's vote to give themselves, the mayor and the school committee raises that were larger than what the commission recommended. All but councilors Jake Auchincloss and Becky Walker Grossman supported the move.

During conversation about the raises before the vote last week, a number of councilors brought up concerns about the timing of the raises, since the city was in negotiating with all of the city's unions. The mayor echoed that concern, saying, "raising pay for City Councilors and School Committee members by 59 % in one budget cycle is out of line with our posture towards our other valued employees."

The city council has the power to override the mayor.

Read her letter:

More to come.

• Newton City Council Votes To Give Themselves Raises (Sept. 17)
• Newton Commission Asks If City Councilors Should Be Paid More
• Opinion: Say NO to Newton Politician Pay Raises
• Commission Recommends Newton City Council Vote Themselves Raises
• League Of Women Voters Criticizes Newton Council's Potential Raises

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).