Shameless City Council members forged ahead with their much-criticized effort to give themselves raises — even in the face of an apparent $5.4 billion budget gap.
The bill approved by a 42-6 margin, with Speaker Julie Menin abstaining, will set up a commission to determine if council members, the mayor and a slew of other city elected officials should get pay bumps this year.
The three-person commission will meet every four years under the legislation shepherded by Deputy Council Speaker Nantasha Williams, a Queens Democrat.
New York City Council members getting sworn in Jan. 7, 2026. The Council is pushing forward with a bill that would give members and other city officials pay raises. Matthew McDermottThe measure is much less self-serving that the bill Williams tried to sneak in as 2025 drew to a close that would have outright increased council members’ salaries by 16%, bringing their yearly compensation to $172,500.
After outrage and maneuvers by Menin to prevent council members from directly voting on their own pay, Williams’ revamped version finally went up for a vote and sailed through.
The move comes as Mayor Zohran Mamdani has warned that the city faces a massive fiscal gap — and threatened he’ll be force to increase property taxes by a staggering 9.5% to close it if Albany lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul don’t agree to his “tax the rich” scheme.
Under the legislation, the commission made up of experienced private citizens will gauge whether pay raises are in order for the mayor, public advocate, comptroller, borough presidents, council members and district attorneys this year.
Williams’ legislation requires the mayor to make his appointments within 15 days of the law’s effective date. The commission is required to make its recommendations within 75 days of convening.
The mayor could then approve, disapprove or modify the suggestion — though it would not be required.
In January, Mamdani committed to not taking a pay raise during his first term. Menin followed suit shortly afterward in agreeing to not take one herself.
Mamdani previously said he would “consider” any legislation the council has passed on the matter when asked about an earlier version of the bill.
“I will consider anything the council does,” he told NY1 in December.
A representative for Mamdani did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment about the law Tuesday.
The last time Council members got a pay raise was under Mamdani’s fellow progressive – and favorite living mayor – Bill de Blasio in 2016.
While Democratic lawmakers this go-round moved forward, Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (R-Queens) lambasted it as an “insult” to voters.
“I am 100% against this and will be voting against the raise,” she posted on X. “It’s an insult to working New Yorkers for the political class to raise their own pay, especially now.”
