The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Devine
The 1950s television show “I’ve Got a Secret” is being rebooted for this year’s Tucson city election. It’s now called “Proposition 413,” a proposal to raise the salaries of the mayor and council but keeping the amounts a secret from voters.
Spoiler alert! The raises are stupendous. The mayor’s salary would more than double ($42,000 to $95,750) while council members would triple their pay ($24,000 to $76,600).
In comparison, Mesa, the Arizona city closest in population to Tucson, pays its mayor $73,545 and council members $40,582. Phoenix, with triple Tucson’s population, has a mayoral salary of $88,000 and council pay of $61,600. Thus, approval of Proposition 413 will mean Tucson has the highest-paid elected officials among the state’s three largest cities.
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Tucson’s current salaries were approved in 1999 and since then, the Citizen’s Commission on Public Service and Compensation has recommended pay increases nine times. Some years it was substantial, other times modest, such as in 2021 when the mayor’s pay would have gone to $54,000 and the council $36,000.
Those previous attempts had two things in common. First, they spelled out exactly the dollar amounts the new salary would become. Second, they were all rejected by voters.
Attempting to reverse its long losing streak, the Commission has now kept the raise amount a secret. Instead, the ballot refers to “the salary set for members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.” Determining those amounts is left to the voter.
If adopted, Proposition 413 would annually require around $370,000 more taxpayer money to pay the increases. So what do those running for mayor in the election think about the idea?
Libertarian candidate, Arthur Kerschen states simply: “I oppose a pay increase for the mayor and council.”
Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbraker also is against the raises and writes: “Absent from the proposition are any accompanying requirements and restrictions, e.g., requirements to be full-time, not hold outside employment or paid board position, and/or incremental increases to be decided by Tucson voters.”
Democratic incumbent, Regina Romero, supports the proposal. “Voting YES on Prop 413 will make it possible for more working-class people to run for office,” she believes. “Tucsonans deserve a Mayor and Council who can afford to put in the time needed in order to continue delivering results for our residents.”
Independent Ed Ackerley didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“I’ve Got a Secret” had panelists trying to guess a contestant’s mystery. Whether Tucson voters accept Proposition 413’s secret enormous salary increases will be decided in a few weeks. At least the results won’t be kept secret on election night.
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A graduate of the University of Arizona, Dave Devine moved to Tucson in 1973, has been involved with local politics in various ways, and retired from writing for the Tucson Weekly in 2011.
