Calls on All Council Members to Oppose Pay Increase
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Non-partisan Save Austin Now PAC released a statement earlier today addressing a report in the Austin American-Statesman that Austin City Council could be proposing a 40% pay increase for itself, potentially raising its base pay level from $83,158 to $116,688.
“Only the Austin City Council could be so stunningly tone deaf that they would propose a massive and unearned pay increase that comes:
- 90 days from an election
- during a weak economy
- in an affordability crisis they have made measurably worse
- with historically high crime
- a homeless disaster they continue to ignore, and
- infinite proposed tax and fee increases that hurt families and small businesses
"City council members have been receiving cost of living increases since 2006. The Mayor and every council member should not pass this massive pay increase and if it does pass, they should decline to receive it in solidarity with taxpayers who are hurting in Austin," read the statement from Save Austin Now, lead by Co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek (above.)
"Serving on city council is a voluntary, part-time job, and council members are allowed to have other careers where they continue to work and earn compensation. If this outrageous pay increase passes, council members should become full-time employees and be prohibited from earning outside income.
"We should not ask Austin taxpayers to fund full-time salaries for part-time City Council members whose record of performance is so poor that 56% in the recent Austin Monitor Poll said that Austin is headed in the wrong direction.
"November is coming and voters have a golden opportunity to express their displeasure with this current City Council,” the release said.
"Serving on city council is a voluntary, part-time job, and council members are allowed to have other careers where they continue to work and earn compensation. If this outrageous pay increase passes, council members should become full-time employees and be prohibited from earning outside income.
"We should not ask Austin taxpayers to fund full-time salaries for part-time City Council members whose record of performance is so poor that 56% in the recent Austin Monitor Poll said that Austin is headed in the wrong direction.
"November is coming and voters have a golden opportunity to express their displeasure with this current City Council,” the release said.
To learn more about Save Austin Now PAC, please visit http://www.SaveAustinNowPAC.com.
