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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indianapolis City-County Council this week approved pay hikes for the mayor and Marion County officials, who haven’t had a raise since 2010.
But councilors tweaked the measure before its final passage to postpone the effective date for the mayor until after Joe Hogsett’s term expires—a move meant to avoid the veto he threatened. The mayor hasn’t said whether the change means he’ll sign the ordinance, but we urge him to do so.
The ordinance increases the mayor’s pay 58%, which sounds like a huge increase until you consider the salary hasn’t gone up since 2002. That’s 22 years. Under the ordinance, the next mayor (Hogsett has said he won’t run for a fourth term) will earn $150,000, up from $95,000 today, when he or she takes office in 2028.
The current salary lags mayoral compensation in nearby cities. Carmel, Zionsville, Noblesville and Fishers all pay mayoral salaries greater than $130,000.
No one runs for mayor for the money. But that doesn’t mean the salary shouldn’t be at least a little bit competitive. We want smart, savvy, compassionate people to run for mayor. But of course, those are the same characteristics most organizations are seeking in the people they hire.
The ordinance approved by the City-County Council also elevates the pay of countywide elected officials starting in 2025. Those positions haven’t seen raises since 2010.
The change means the assessor, auditor and clerk will make $99,500 annually. The assessor currently makes $65,278, and the auditor and clerk make $70,833.
The county coroner’s position will receive a pay raise from $35,649 to $112,000 for full-time work. Part-time coroners will be paid $56,000. The county recorder, surveyor and treasurer will be paid $99,500.
Those increases are also long overdue, and Hogsett shouldn’t delay them further with a veto.
We appreciate that the council also passed a proposal authored by a Republican and a Democrat that makes the financial disclosure forms that councilors file each year available online. They are currently available only through a public records request.
Republican Josh Bain said the change will make Indianapolis one of “the most transparent councils in the country.”
The ordinance will also expand the amount of information councilors are required to report about their employer and finances. Councilors will be required next year to disclose money received directly through contracts between an employer and the city or through more indirect means.
Already, the form requires councilors to report their own workplace as well as those of their spouse and children. Additionally, the form asks that councilors report whether they or their family members serve on boards or work for or own more than a 10% stake in companies that do business with the city. They also must list gifts over $100 or totaling more than $250 that are unrelated to a campaign.
We support those transparency measures and would like to see them implemented in a much wider way across all levels of government.•
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