By Rachel Sawicki

NEWARK — The mayor and council members will see a more than 100% salary increase after the municipal election next May, as approved by the city’s leaders Monday.

The current annual compensation is $7,000 for council seats and $8,400 for the mayor. Starting May 1, 2023, those numbers will increase to $15,600 and $18,700, respectively.

Mayor Jerry Clifton and four council members voted in favor of the rise, with one vote against from District 1 Councilman John Suchanec, who said the increase is too drastic and would be hard to justify to residents.

While Councilman Suchanec said a pay hike is appropriate at this time — considering the salaries have not been raised since 2004 — adjustments according to the consumer price index since then would only amount to an approximate 50% increase. From there, he said these corrections should be done automatically every year.

His proposal to increase council members’ compensation to $10,600 and the mayor’s to $12,500 received no second motion to carry. It also included language that would adjust the salaries in an amount equal to the percentage increase of New Castle County’s cost of living.

“Therefore, if the index goes up, the salaries go up, and if it goes down, then there is no change,” Councilman Suchanec said. “It also does not require the council to have to take any action in order to make this happen. Another 18 years from now, if we don’t do something like this, then there’s going to be another council sitting here wrestling with the same problem.”

Mayor Clifton said he is not opposed to the automatic changes but wanted to push the pay increases through Monday to provide immediate compensation to the mayor and councilpersons who will be elected next spring, rather than wait several more years.

Newark’s 2022 budget totals $99,012,761, which reflects a 4% increase over 2021. The compensation increases would add just $53,300 to the overall budget in 2023, he said.

Mayor Clifton is not running for reelection this year and, therefore, will not be receiving the additional compensation. City Council members serve two-terms, while a mayor holds the position for three. There are no contested races in 2022.

“We hear it all the time when signing union contracts, that people haven’t had a pay increase in three years, and if I hadn’t had a pay increase in my job in three years, I probably would’ve found another job,” he said. “It’s that simple. You market yourself. You make yourself marketable. And I say that because I think the work of what this body has done, you’ve made yourselves marketable. The residents (elected you), in some cases a second time, because they trust you, and trust is what this is about.”

District 5 Councilman Jason Lawhorn said New Castle County Council members make nearly four times as much as the proposed increase for Newark leaders, though he estimates the time commitment to be similar. He also noted that a large number of the city’s council seats have gone uncontested in the last 20 years, in part due to the low compensation.

He added that he hasn’t heard much feedback about pay hikes from residents, but the few comments he has received have been supportive.

“I don’t do this for the money, but I do lose money by the time I invest in being here,” he said. “And I’m fine with that to a degree, but every two years, when I have that mental exercise, asking myself if I want to run again, things like that do factor in. Particularly for those in similar situations as mine, where you have young kids, growing kids, or you’re looking at upcoming college expenses, finances do factor into decisions.”

Councilman Suchanec said the comparison between Newark City Council and New Castle County Council isn’t “apples to apples.” Each Newark council member represents 3,000-4,000 people, he noted, while a County Council representative has nearly 45,000 per district. They are also required to serve on two committees, while Newark’s members are not.

Mayor Clifton argued that, as the city’s elected leader, he represents approximately 35,000 people, in addition to the 20,000 University of Delaware students that live on campus at least nine months out of the year.

District 4 Councilwoman Dwendolyn Creecy agreed.

“I don’t know if everyone realizes how much paperwork this is, how much you have to go through and read,” she said. “And on top of that, I am responsible for taking care of two disabled persons. I have three adopted kids and two of my own, and two of them have disabilities, as well. But I chose to go ahead with this council seat, and with all that we have put in, and these late-night council meetings, we deserve it.”