Brewer on how low elected salaries cap staff pay and limit who can run
Brewer explains that elected official salaries serve as caps on staff salaries, making it hard to attract top talent. She argues low pay restricts who can afford to run for office, making it accessible only to wealthy individuals, and that elected officials deserve fair compensation for a demanding 24/7 job.
These stagnant wages not only affect elected officials, they keep staff salaries low.
For non-executive roles, an elected official's salary serves as a cap on the salaries of the employees who work for them.
Keeping elected salaries low prevents the city from offering competitive wages.
This makes it difficult for us to attract the best and brightest to crucial city jobs, although I wish there was more money for staff.
Low salaries for elected officials can also negatively influence who is able to run for office.
We do not want elected officials to only be accessible to wealthy individuals.
Being an elected official in New York is a challenging and demanding 24-7 job, and elected officials deserve to be respected.