Denver Mayor Mike Johnston will delay a proposal to grant raises to a dozen city executives, his office said Friday.
The mayor's office had proposed granting raises to a dozen department leaders, ranging from 4 percent to 44 percent. While most city employees get regular raises, these particular leadership positions can only have their pay changed by the Denver City Council.
But that plan will be delayed for several months. Instead of asking the council to approve raises effective July 1, the raises will instead be considered alongside the rest of the city budget — a process that will continue into November.
"Running a world-class city means being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. It also means retaining and recruiting world-class talent. In Denver we believe we can do both. We will continue working with Council to ensure fair and competitive salaries for agency directors as part of the regular budget process," read a statement provided by mayoral spokesperson Jon Ewing.
"Shifting this discussion to the fall will allow for a more complete conversation as we work through the nuances and specifics of an uncertain economic year for Denver and the country," it concluded.
City leaders expect to face an exceptionally tight budget this year and in the near future, due in part to weakness in the economy.
The mayor's office argued the positions were due for a raise because they hadn't received one in three years.
Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington would have the highest salary among the group, with a proposed raise to $406,511. All 12 cabinet members would make at least $176,800.
City officials said they had conducted a pay study and proposed raises that were the median for each of the affected positions. The raises would have cost about $500,000 per year in total.
Council members discussed the proposal at a committee meeting earlier this month.
"I have a curiosity around, is this the right time to do this, or is there an opportunity for us to maybe look down the road, when we maybe have a little more certainty in terms of our budget, to be able to understand if we can hold the cost long-term?" asked Councilmember Shontel Lewis.
But the council members in that meeting were receptive to the increases, with some suggesting that the raises should have been set higher.
"I've long thought that these positions were considerably underpaid," said Councilmember Paul Kashmann. "I want to be stealing people. I want people dying to be part of our government. We are a complex big city now. These are difficult jobs."
The council met on Friday to discuss its budget priorities, and city leaders are expected to release more information about the budget picture in the weeks to come.
