Quincy delays controversial pay raises for mayor, city councilors

The raises would increase Mayor Thomas Koch’s salary by 79% and each city councilor’s by 50%.

Quincy’s city officials are delaying their substantial raises after public outcry.

These approved raises would increase Mayor Thomas Koch’s salary by 79% and each city councilor’s by 50%, according to The Boston Globe and a statement issued by the city.

The raises will be deferred until the start of the next election cycle for each of the positions with a salary that would change. This means 2028 for Koch and 2026 for the councilors.

“We’ve listened to feedback from the community and, after careful consideration, we’re making the prudent decision to defer these raises,” Council President Ian Cain said in the statement.

These staggering salary increases were met with public skepticism and even sparked a protest.

A group of Quincy residents demonstrated in front of City Hall Plaza last month. Under the banner of “A Just Quincy,” over 100 people chanted and held signs that read, “Stop the CA$H grab.”

Koch would have been one of the highest-paid mayors in the country had these raises gone into effect, according to the Globe.

Residents were given no say in the amount or percentages these raises turned out to be, according to protestors. Although they gathered 6,000 signatures for a recall petition, they were shy of the 8,000-signature requirement.

i“This is a step in the right direction, and it shows that residents can create change when we work together,” A Just Quincy said in a statement issued by email to the Globe Wednesday.