March 29, 2011 05:36 AM UTC

Gallagher Joins Boigon In Saying "No" to City Hall Pay Raise

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• by: Boigon for Denver

As many of you know, last week, the Denver City Council voted to pass a pay raise for our city’s elected officials beginning in 2013. By ordinance, the current Council Members vote on pay raises for the incoming city elected officials.

During these difficult times, Carol Boigon could not in good conscience vote to give herself a raise while so many Denver families are struggling. Carol was the only mayoral candidate on City Council to vote against the pay raise. With the city facing a $100 million budget shortfall, and many Denver families having gone more than four years since their last raise, Carol felt that it was sending a poor message to the people of Denver for politicians to vote themselves a raise–even a comparatively small 6.6% cost of living adjustment. Currently, City Council members earn $78,000 a year plus benefits. Under the increase, this would climb to just about double the median income for a Denver citizen.

With city workers taking furlough days, and many other people struggling to find work at all, now is not the time for politicians to be giving themselves a pay raise.

Tuesday morning, Carol will be joined by City Auditor Dennis Gallagher in launching a grassroots petition calling on the 2011 municipal candidates to pledge to return their pay increases to the taxpayers.

If you feel the same way as Councwilwoman Boigon, Auditor Gallagher, and countless others who wrote or called the City Council and the mayoral campaigns to express their outrage, then please join us:

Stand With Denver Families: Say NO to Politician Pay Raises

Maltese Cross Manor

1590 Yates St. (16th and Yates)

Tuesday, March 29th

11:30 AM

Add your name to our petition, and let’s pledge to send the right message to the people of Denver by returning any increase in salary for elected officials back to the taxpayers.