Local News

Boston City Council unanimously approves pay increases for Mayor Wu, councilors

The pay increases are higher than those proposed by Wu over the summer.

Boston City Hall. Charles Krupa / Associated Press

October 5, 2022

Many Boston officials will soon see higher salaries after a unanimous vote by the Boston City Council. Among the beneficiaries of the pay increase would be the councilors themselves and Mayor Michelle Wu.

The vote was approved by all 13 councilors during a meeting Wednesday, The Boston Globe reported. Wu’s annual salary is set to jump from $207,000 to $250,000. Each councilor will now make $125,000 a year, compared to their previous annual salary of $103,500.

The raises are planned to go into effect after the next election cycle, but some other appointed city officials could have their raises implemented retroactively to Aug. 1.

These pay increases are higher than those proposed by Wu in August. The mayor suggested raising her annual salary to $230,000 and the councilors’ annual salary to $115,000. This proposal came after a monthslong review of the city’s compensation rates. The Compensation Advisory Board reviewed these findings and issued recommendations for salary bumps, which Wu echoed.

Boston worked with Deloitte Consulting for this work, reviewing 17 similar communities both in Massachusetts and across the country, the Globe reported. They studied nonelected positions and found that, on average, Boston salaries were less than the market median.

While the council voted to increase their salaries and Wu’s salary higher than she recommended, the rest of her proposal was kept in place, according to the Globe. Officials in appointed positions like the head of the city’s legal department and the fire and police commissioner will see higher pay now.

“Increasing the salary ranges for certain appointed positions will ensure that the City has competitive benefits to attract and retain the most talented and diverse employees while recognizing the cost of living in the City and what comparable positions make in the public sector,” Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune, chair of the council’s government operations committee, wrote in a report.