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Derby City Hall
DERBY — Three months after voters approved making the mayor’s position full-time, the city’s Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen are starting to talk about how much it should cost.
The Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen discussed increasing the mayor’s pay during a meeting Feb. 25, but did not come to a decision. Instead, they’ll talk some more in April.
Several officials said that before making a decision they wanted to hear more about how much a full-time mayor will cost taxpayers, including benefits and other allowances, such as a city vehicle.
A bi-partisan Derby Charter Revision Commission recommended inserting the words ​“full time” into the charter, and the move was supported by the Aldermen/Alderwomen.
It went to the public Nov. 3, where voters approved it, too, However, the nitty gritty of the salary is up to the Aldermen/Alderwomen, the city’s legislative body.
Anything approved would not be put into place until after the next municipal election, scheduled for November.
“The mayor is the CEO of a multimillion dollar business,” said Charles Stankye, a Democrat who served on the Charter Revision Commission. ​“The salary should reflect this.
​“This is not an endorsement for either (political) party. The salary should be in the $80,000 to $90,000 range.”
Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo, a Democrat who served as mayor for eight years, said the pay should reflect the nature of the job.
“It’s not just the daytime hours, it’s the nighttime meetings, the weekend events, it takes a lot of stamina to do the job, and you have to be able to pay a living wage for an individual to do the job,” Garofalo said. ​“I urge the board to not think about who’s in the position today or the two or three people contemplating being in the position, it’s about the position.”
Garofalo noted the last time the mayor’s salary was adjusted was in 2003. The current starting salary for mayor is $45,000 for a first term, with $5,000 increments each term thereafter.
Garofalo believes an appropriate salary ​“is north of $80,000.”
The $90,000 figure was recently raised in a letter to the editor, penned by City Treasurer Walt Mayhew. He’s a potential Democratic mayoral candidate, as is former Alderman Thomas Donofrio and Alderman Joseph DiMartino.
Mayhew said full-time chief elected officials earn around $85,000 (Seymour, $85,000, Oxford,$89,304, Shelton, $135,659, Ansonia, $69,000).
“Given the data involved and the reasons advocated for establishing the Mayor’s position as full-time, a salary of $90,000 is reasonable,” Mayhew said in his letter. ​“Such action will not only attract more candidates and candidates with the experience to lead our city, it will also allow for candidates to transition from private employment to serving as Mayor.”
There are also politics at play in the discussion, as the city gears up for a mayoral campaign.
Mayhew’s push for $90,000 — he asked at least one fellow Democrats to write to the Aldermen to support that dollar amount — annoyed some Republicans, who questioned whether he was advocating for the pay raise to make the job more enticing for himself. The first-term city treasurer brushed it off.
“The argument speaks for itself, and the salary increase shouldn’t be based on anybody’s candidacy in the future, but rather solely based on merit of the situation,” Mayhew said. ​“On the face of it they (the GOP) shouldn’t worry about who’s running for mayor. This is a raise for the position, not for the person who’s running.”
Derby GOP Chairman Sam Pollastro, who also served on the Derby Charter Revision Commission and supported making the mayor’s position full-time, questioned Mayhew’s intent.
“If in fact he decides to run, it would be apparent that the suggestion of raising the salary to $90,000 would be a self-serving one, and not what’s in the best interest of the city and its residents.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Town Committee Chairman Aniello Malerba, another former member of the Charter Revision Commission, said it’s time for Mayor Richard Dziekan to pledge he’s working full-time.
Malerba has also asked the mayor not to take campaign donations from developers.
Mayor Dziekan didn’t weigh in on what he believes the job should pay but believes it should reflect the hours put in.
Former Mayor and new Alderwoman Anita Dugatto suggested the salary be set at $85,000.
Aldermanic President Joe DiMartino prefers setting the salary somewhat lower, saying $70,000 was fair.