Lewis: Why I voted against salary increases for Dover elected officials
On June 24, the majority of Dover City Council members voted on a motion to raise the mayor’s salary by $5,000 and incorporate it in the fiscal year 2025 budget. Additionally, members voted to approve a 4% increase in their own salaries.
In the spirit of transparency, I feel compelled to inform my constituents that I opted not to vote in favor of this motion. My reasoning was that I felt it was a little late in the game to bring up the matter of salary increases for elected officials, when council had already reviewed and made all necessary adjustments to the budget, especially after three days of complicated deliberation. Secondly, I felt it was not the appropriate time to execute a salary increase for any city elected official in our current economic climate. For the record, I had announced during discussion at this particular meeting that “the city can keep my 4% increase and give it back to the taxpayers.” Today, many young adults, older adults and families are struggling with inflation and shouldn’t have to be burdened with any additional city cost, especially after fees and taxes were increased. Even though the recent budget was balanced, I was told by city officials that we are paper thin of being in a deficit.
To some, a 4% salary increase may be minimal opposed to larger-scale salary increases in the city, but in my view, why accept it if it may be able to fund or offset a city service and lighten up a hardship for our citizens who may be struggling?
During the third week of July, I informed the city personnel director that I do not wish to receive the 4% salary increase approved by my colleagues on council. I received an email response from the city clerk, who was copied, that stated: “When the City of Dover sent the charter amendment to the General Assembly in 2022, they included the mayor, however the General Assembly amended it to just city council’s increases being tied to non-bargaining raises.”
Section 12 of the charter reads: “The city council shall determine the annual salary and emoluments of the mayor, councilmembers, and other elected or appointed officials by ordinance to be adopted annually with the adoption of the Fiscal Year Budget ordinance. Once council’s annual salary is established in Fiscal Year 2023, all future council pay raises will be tied to increases for non-bargaining employees. The mayor and councilmembers shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties of office.”
For public knowledge, I was not serving on Dover City Council in 2022, but surely, if I was, I would have been opposed to the charter amendment and publicly voiced my opposition. In light of the city charter change of 2022 prohibiting me from accepting the increase and returning it to taxpayers, I have no choice and decided to donate the 4% increase to charitable organizations that will assist those in need. I feel this is the least I can do, since I am obligated to accept the increase under law.
My service on City Council is certainly not about a salary; it is about the duties of serving the public, and many of my constituents know that I will work in their best interest every day and will continue to advocate for them.
Brian E. Lewis
2nd District Dover city councilman
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
