Local News

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch’s salary would increase 79 percent, from $159,000 to $285,000.

Quincy City Councilors signed off on a raise for Mayor Thomas Koch that would make him higher-paid than mayors of some of the nation’s largest cities.

Koch’s annual salary would increase from $159,000 to $285,000 — a 79 percent jump — if officially approved by the council later this month. The raise was approved Monday by the council’s finance committee, which is made up of all nine Quincy City Council members.

The increase would take effect on Jan. 1, 2025. 

“The number is fair, reasonable, and in line with a number of other communities — if not today, then within the next year or two,” mayoral chief of staff Christopher Walker said at a city council meeting Monday. 

The figure is less than the $298,000 to $370,000 recommended by a consulting firm hired by the city. The upper end of that figure would’ve made Koch the highest-paid mayor in the United States. 

Still, the raise agreed upon by the council would see Koch bring in more than the mayors of Chicago, Houston, and New York. In the state, his salary would outpace that of nearby Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who makes just over $200,000 a year.

The motion was approved by a 7-1 vote, with most councilors agreeing that a pay raise was long overdue. Koch has been mayor since 2008 and saw his last raise nearly a decade ago, in 2015. 

Residents, councilor spoke out about salary increase

About 30 protesters opposing the move gathered at Monday’s meeting, The Patriot Ledger reported, and almost every councilor spoke about the numerous calls and emails they had received from constituents both supporting and opposing the move. 

Daniel Minton was the only councilor to vote against the motion, suggesting the proposed salary be lowered to $230,000. Though he agreed that nine years was a lengthy time without a rise, he said he heard from people who were “very troubled” by the consulting group’s recommendation. Specifically, he said comparisons to other cities and towns during the group’s analysis didn’t “carry much weight” for him. 

“Grossly underpaid”: Councilors say pay raise needed to attract qualified candidates

Other councilors said the new pay aligns with the “24/7” duties of being mayor and makes up for the nine years Koch served without a salary increase. 

“The position here is grossly underpaid,” said Councilor David McCarthy, who chaired Monday’s meeting. “I could never understand how the boss of what I consider the company here, Quincy, is getting out-salaried by the majority of his employees.”

According to reporting by the Ledger, Quincy police officers and firefighters made more than Koch last year. 

Councilor James Devine said the step would help attract candidates to the job. 

“I don’t want to find out when we need a new mayor, we don’t get a good mayor because we’re just trying to offer a small amount of money,” Devine said. 

Councilor Nina Liang said she was disappointed that people were making assessments about whether there should be a pay raise based on the person currently in the position. 

“What are we setting up for the future? Our job is to set up processes — not about the person, but the system, to ensure that the system works,” Liang said. 

Liang also said the increase could help attract people underrepresented in government positions — such as women and people of color — because money would pose less of a barrier. 

“The system is set up to keep people like me out,” Liang said. “Government, and the way that it’s compensated — it’s set up for access for people who have wealth and access to wealth.”

Councilors to vote on a salary increase for themselves later this month

During their presentation April 22, Dorminson Consulting representatives told city councilors that the risk of not taking action, or taking insufficient action, on a mayoral pay raise could lead to a variety of consequences, including an insufficient labor supply pool and a failure to attract and retain quality leadership. The consulting group based their recommendations on the city’s population, consumer price index, and general compensation for public officials. 

Quincy has a population of roughly 100,000 people, making it the seventh most populous city in the state. 

Councilors on Monday also discussed increasing their own pay from $30,000 to $47,000. That motion will be voted on at the council’s next meeting June 17.