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Boston mayor, city councilors seek hefty pay raises of up to $35,000
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BOSTON (AP) — Boston’s mayor and City Council are again looking for pay raises that could make them among the best compensated of comparable cities across the country.Mayor Marty Walsh filed a proposal Monday giving his office a $24,000 raise to $199,000 a year. He also proposed raising councilor salaries by $12,000 to $99,500.Not to be outdone, City Council President Bill Linehan proposed to boost pay on the 13-member panel by $17,500, from $87,500 to $105,000. He also proposed giving the mayor a $35,000 raise, from $175,000 to $210,000.The proposals, which were filed ahead of Wednesday’s regular council meeting, come after last year’s protracted public spat between the two sides of city government over council pay.Walsh, through a spokeswoman, called his proposal a fair compromise, noting the council has historically received half the salary of the mayor.“The Council has not received a raise in nearly a decade and he believes this compromise is a fair and appropriate step to move forward and allow the City to return to addressing the priorities facing Boston,” spokeswoman Bonnie McGilpin said.In 2014, the council approved a $20,000 pay raise, only to have Walsh veto it and send the issue to an independent board to make a recommendation.The advisory board produced a report in July suggesting a $9,500 raise (to $97,000) for the council and a $19,000 one (to $194,000) for the mayor — or a roughly 11 percent raise in line with what department heads and Cabinet-level positions have received in recent years.But the advisory board also said a change in salary may not be warranted, based on a survey of 11 comparable cities, including Baltimore, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.The survey found Boston in the top half of the pack.