The Board of Aldermen granted the city’s two registrars of voters a raise Thursday, but the pay increase isn’t as much as the registrars wanted.
Democratic Registrar Louise Pitney wanted the Aldermen to raise her salary and that of Republican Registrar Ernestine Gaudio to about $8,000 per year.
There was much confusion among Pitney and the Aldermen, who were under the impression that she and Gaudio earn a yearly salary of $7,000.
Pitney said that isn’t so. The line item in the city’s budget indicating $7,000 includes money paid for elections — the number of which varies.
Ken Hughes, Board of Aldermen president, was hesitant to grant a pay increase, saying the registrars received a 7 percent raise last year.
He read from the budget, which shows the registrars making a combined $14,124.
Pitney said they never saw the money and offered to bring in her tax return.
“We are not getting $7,000 a year,” Pitney said.
The Democratic Registrar estimated her true salary to be at about $6,100 per year. Increasing the salary to $8,000 represents an increase of roughly 30 percent.
Pitney said that salary is woefully below what other registrars are paid.
“We go to (registrar) conferences and they laugh at us,” Pitney said.
Pitney said she knew they were underpaid for years, but never felt the need to bring it up to the Aldermen. However, with elections becoming more and more complicated, the workload has increased — so should compensation, Pitney said.
The majority of the Aldermen, however, weren’t willing to fund such a large jump in salary.
They voted unanimously to grant the registrars a raise of either 4 or 4.5 percent — the same amount city workers will receive July 1, 2010.
Republican Alderman Joe Bomba voted against the pay increase, as did Democrat Barbara DeGennaro.
Bomba said the salary review doesn’t make sense, because the city’s tax board isn’t involved.
However, it’s apparently a quirk in the city’s charter — when the registrars want more money, they have to go to the Aldermen first.
“It’s not about the raise,” Bomba told Pitney. “It’s about the confusion you see right now among us.”