Liberal NYC pols’ plans to give themselves 16% raises squashed –but they’re not giving up yet

The new City Council speaker squashed a plan by lefty council members’ plan to give themselves a big fat pay raise — but the pols aren’t giving up their dreams of bigger salaries just yet, The Post has learned. 

Newly minted Speaker Julie Menin was adamant about stopping the politicians behind a bill pushing to fatten council paychecks 16% on the taxpayer dime, sources said.

“The body has never done their own pay raise, so that wasn’t a path she was comfortable with” a source close to Menin said.  

“She wants to make sure they’re doing it in a way that is accountable and transparent,” the source added, noting the push to vote on the current legislation was coming mostly from the progressive caucus. 

But they may not be the end of the politicians seeking to give themselves more spending cash.

A compromise from the raise-hungry liberals may be to push new Mayor Zohran Mamdani to form a commission that will be told to fast track considering raises.

Traditionally, the council has introduced legislation calling on the mayor to form a Quadrennial commission consisting of three appointees – which would then give a recommendation on salary increases and dollar amounts. 

Since the first commission to recommend pay raises for elected officials was formed in 1987 — the council has had five pay raises — most recently in 2016.

The current bill, intro 1493 sponsored by Council member Nantasha Williams has sought to boost members’ salaries from $148,500 to $172,500. But after Menin knocked down the effort, Williams said she’ll amend the bill so the council cannot directly vote on increasing themselves.

“The City Council bill is not axed,” Williams told The Post. 

“On the contrary, I have been in active conversations with Speaker Menin about a better alternative new bill that we are introducing that will mandate the commission to expeditiously focus on the pay raise,” she explained.

Multiple sources confirmed the new legislation would be introduced to the council imminently and that Menin has spoken directly to the mayor about the new plan.

A co-sponsor of the bill, Council member Sean Abreu, echoed Williams’ change of tune. 

“The good government way of establishing salaries for elected officials would be through a commission,” he said.

“It’s the most fair way of doing it.”