U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell has gotten a fair amount of publicity for giving away his congressional pay raise. Well, OK, I personally have given him a fair amount of pub for the gesture.

The Democrat introduced legislation last year intended to block an automatic pay raise that members of Congress get every year. Alas, his House colleagues refused to hear the bill, so Mitchell and every other member of the House got a $4,100 pay bump. Mitchell donated his pay increase to 10 local charities in $410 bundles, and co-sponsored new legislation with Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, to block next year’s pay increase.

The former Tempe mayor has argued that it’s unsightly for members of Congress to accept pay increases when taxpayers face difficult economic times. Rank-and-file members of the Senate and House currently are paid $169,300 annually. The Senate president pro tempore and the Senate and House majority and minority leaders get $188,100 each, while the speaker of the House is paid $217,400. 
 

Overlooked in all that though, has been the give-backs by potential future GOP challenger and current Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman.

Hallman, a Republican, briefly considered running against Mitchell for Congress this year, but then opted to seek a second term as mayor. Hallman cited his school-aged children and unfinished business at the city for seeking re-election in Tempe. Presumably, both of those matters will be somewhat mitigated in four years. His kids will be older and if he’s successful as mayor, the city will be improved.

Hallman has turned down automatic pay raises every year he’s been mayor. He came in during the 2004-05 fiscal year when the job paid $45,653 annually. Automatic pay increases have pushed it to $53,620, but Hallman still takes $45,653.

Hallman’s thinking was that the mayor and members of the City Council were the only employees in the city who received automatic cost of living increases, while every other employee in the city receive pay based on market conditions. Hallman said that was unfair, and turned down the pay increases.

Hallman also refuses to accept a city car, which otherwise has been provided to Tempe’s mayor since Mitchell’s tenure. Furthermore, he declines to accept mileage re-imbursements, declined a designated reserved parking space at City Hall, and pays for his own meals and banquet tickets while attending city-related events.

So, if Mitchell remains in office in 2012 and plans to seek yet another term, and if Hallman decides to run for Congress in 2012, all of that could come into pay – er, play.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 4:46 pm and is filed under CD 5 race, Harry Mitchell. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.