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Somerville council rejects ordinance to automate 2% annual COLA for elected officials, vote 6-5
Summary
After a lengthy debate about fairness, optics and attracting candidates, the council voted 6-5 against an ordinance that would have given elected officials an annual cost-of-living adjustment up to 2%.
The Somerville City Council voted 6-5 on Tuesday against an ordinance that would have automatically applied an annual cost-of-living adjustment for elected officials equal to the lower of 2 percent or the Boston-area CPI.
Councilor Ewen Kampen sponsored the ordinance, saying the intent was to prevent elected pay from effectively falling year to year as inflation erodes purchasing power. He described the measure as narrowly drafted to allow the council to forego any automatic adjustment each year and to defer to the Municipal Compensation Advisory Board if it issued a recommendation.
Supporters said the amendment would create a predictable, modest adjustment for elected officials and help make service more accessible to people who cannot otherwise afford to serve. "I think it's a matter of basic public fairness that everybody who works for the city should see a modest every-year increase," Kampen said.
Opponents raised concerns about appearance and accountability in a process where council members would effectively vote on their own pay and said limited municipal dollars might be better aimed at staffing or services. Councilor McLaughlin said he was uncomfortable making the change while other priorities exist; Councilor Davis said he preferred increasing staff capacity rather than elected salaries.
The roll call vote was: Councilors Mbah, Wilson, Ewen Kampen, Scott, Burnley and Saeed voted yes; Councilors McLaughlin, Strezzo, Klingen, Davis and Pineda Neufeld voted no. With six in favor and five opposed, the motion failed to pass the ordinance threshold.
The proposed ordinance would have amended the city code (chapter 2, article 6, division 3) to implement the annual adjustment subject to a lower-of-2% or Boston-area CPI cap and to allow the Municipal Compensation Advisory Board's recommendation to supplant the automatic adjustment. The council retained the right to vote to forego any increase.
Councilors said the broader debate about how to make public service affordable and representative of the city will continue.
