Fresh off a reelection victory, Mayor Toni Harp is seeking a $10,000 annual raise for her third two-year term.
The request comes in the form of a Nov. 16 letter from city human resources chief Stephen Librandi to the Board of Alders, which decides whether to grant it.
If approved, it would raise Harp’s annual salary to $141,000.
“The increase being sought for the calendar years of 2018 and 2019 will insure that the New Haven Mayo’rs salary is comparable to the salary paid to the Mayors in similarly sized Connecticut cities,” Librandi wrote. With the raise, Harp would still earn less than the mayors of Bridgeport, Hartford, and Stamford, which pays the highest mayoral salary ($173,000) of the group.
Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Gerald Antunes wasn’t impressed with that argument.
“Our police officers get paid less than other police officers in Connecticut, too,” Antunes said. “When we start considering paying our officers something consistent with other police officers around the state, maybe we can consider a similar move for the mayor.”
In an interview, Mayor Harp pointed out that the mayor’s position has not had a raise in 10 years.
“I don’t know of any other position that we ask” to remain at the same salary for that long, she said.
Dixwell Alder Jeanette Morrison said she will withhold comment until learning more about the reasons behind the request.
Asked for her reaction, Newhallville Alder Brenda Fosky-Hill replied, “I don’t even want to touch that.”
The request formally comes before the Board of Alders Monday night. Board of Alders Tyisha Walker-Myers said, “It will be assigned to committee and go through the committee process like everything else.”