Dover Mayor halts further pay raises for his position until after the 2027 election

DOVER — Earlier this month, Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen was given a $5,000 raise in a last-minute decision before passing the yearly budget. On Tuesday, however, he requested the raise be the final one he gets through the 2027 election.

“I’d like to express (gratitude to) the council and the recommendation of the increase in the remuneration that was given to the mayor’s office at the last council meeting. It’s greatly appreciated,” Mayor Christiansen said.

“Not for the dollars and cents of it, but for the fact that council has recognized the growing responsibilities that the mayor of the city of Dover has for economic development and public safety. There is no higher calling than public service and each of us in this room know that.”

The mayor then made two request a freeze — on mayoral pay raises through the election and a requirement that any mayoral pay raises be passed unanimously by council.

The raise, passed earlier this month, had two dissenters in councilmen Brian Lewis and Roy Sudler Jr although Councilman Sudler felt the raise was not large enough.

After the meeting, Mayor Christiansen explained the rationale behind the request.

“There are city employees and other folks in our community that work equally as hard and make less,” Mayor Christiansen told the Daily State News.

“I don’t want (the position) to become a plum for somebody to pick from the tree because, as I said, there is no higher calling than public service. And we are public servants here.”

During the meeting, though, one member of council had his concerns about putting such a freeze in place.

“I think that we face the same problem that every employee faces and that is that there are costs that go up — inflation and whatever have you,” said Councilman Fred Neil. “I would honor (the mayor’s wishes). But at the same time, I think that the office should go up because it is what’s happening in the real world. And that office deserves the same type of increase that the other employees are having, including the members of this council.”

Ultimately, the council decided to grant the mayor’s request unanimously. The mayor’s pay will remain just over $59,000 through the next election.