“Shall there be an ordinance amending the annual salary of members
of the Court of Common Council to ($26,650) effective January 1,
2012?”
This question was on the ballots for Hartford residents, thrown into a strange side column as sort of an afterthought. It was easy to miss, as it looked more like instructions than another item to vote on.
The Connecticut Secretary of State website has no information, though national and statewide results are posted.
updated: The Courant just announced that the pay raise was approved, though the CT Secretary of State site–where all other official election results are posted–has nothing.
To address their spin on it– yes, there are budget cuts happening in Hartford. Raising the pay of the City Council is in residents’ best interest, however. First, it makes the position more attractive to those who are not already in the middle class, who need to have an income that they can live off of. Want to change the power structure? Make the political jobs pay enough to entice concerned residents who actually represent the average Hartford resident–the working poor, or working lower middle class. Secondly, paying the council members more upfront might reduce the likelihood that they will take bribes. Third, even the members of council who are ineffective take on a lot of citizen ire at these public meetings. I would never take the job because of the pure, unfiltered rage that gets (rightfully or not) hurled at the reps every few weeks.
originally posted: 11/5/08 07:43