Council sidesteps vote on its raises

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, March 26, 2003 | 9:18 a.m.

The Boulder City Council was scheduled to vote on raises for the mayor and council on Tuesday, but instead they decided to remove the item from the agenda.

The move takes the pay-raise issue off the council's agenda until a council member or the city manager decides to introduce the matter again. Mayor Bob Ferraro, who opposed the raises, said it will probably be two years before the issue returns for a council vote.

The vote on the raises had threatened to become an issue in the city elections. Early voting for the city's April 8 primary election began Saturday and ends April 4. But city officials said the election had nothing to do with their decision to put the issue aside at this time.

City Manager John Sullard said with the current economic situation and the start of war with Iraq, now is not the right time to talk about raises for the elected officials. Sullard, who put the proposed raises on the agenda earlier this month, was the one who recommended the council remove the item from the agenda on Tuesday.

Councilman Mike Pacini supported the raises, calling them "salary adjustments." But he said the timing just isn't right for the vote.

"I'm just going with my gut," Pacini said. He would not elaborate, but said his decision was not affected by the election.

Pacini is running for mayor against Ferraro and former City Councilman Bill Smith. Smith has also been critical of the proposed raises.

Councilman Bryan Nix, the only other incumbent running in the current election, said he would have voted against the raises.

Council members are currently paid $11,202 a year and the mayor is paid $13,898 annually.

The proposed raises would have increased the annual salaries for council members by $6,000 each. The mayor would have received $7,500 more a year. The raises would have only gone to newly elected or re-elected city officials.

Sullard has said the raises would help offset the loss of auto and health insurance allowances, which were eliminated by city voters in a September ballot question. The allowances are worth up to $950 a month for some council members.