Council Members All Ears as Talk Turns to an Increase in Their Pay

On a rainy day dominated by talk of blockbuster election results and the resignation of President Bush's defense secretary, a public hearing was held on the idea of a $22,500 pay hike for City Council members.

Every seat in the council chambers dais was filled yesterday, and the members' attention, which during other hearings is occasionally distracted by unrelated paperwork and BlackBerry thumb-typing, was rapt.

A council committee was debating a proposal by a mayoral commission to increase members' salaries to $112,500 from $90,000, as well as to increase the pay of other municipal officials such as the mayor, the comptroller, and the city's five borough district attorneys.

The council members said they haven't gotten a pay hike in seven years and that the cost of living in the city has increased.

At times, the members — including Speaker Christine Quinn, who spoke in favor of the proposal — sounded like employees obsequiously outlining their accomplishments for the boss.

"You know, we are an incredibly active legislative body charged with a tremendous number of responsibilities," the speaker said.

Members of two self-described government watchdog groups testified yesterday that they oppose the pay increases unless there are other changes, such as ending "lulus" — stipends that can increase a member's pay by thousands of dollars for committee assignments, a practice critics charge encourages cronyism — and making the position a full-time job. They noted that being a New York City council member is now a part-time job, with several members also acting as lawyers, real estate agents, and, in one case, purveyor of a bed and breakfast.

Those pushing the change also urged the council to make the pay hikes go into effect for the next class of council members, rather than holding a vote on a pay increase from which they stand to benefit personally.

Council Member Tony Avella of Queens was the only member to speak against the raise, calling the current salary "sufficient" and the proposal a betrayal of the public trust.

Four members of the public also appeared at City Hall to criticize the salary increase.

One of them, Queens resident Larry Penner, berated the panel for proposing to pay itself at a rate several times the average New Yorker's salary while seeking to undo term limits.

"It's like double-dipping," Mr. Penner said. "First you're going to put through a salary increase, then you're going to follow up and extend term limits to enjoy the bounties of your bonuses."