Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch Poised for Major Salary Increase Amid Resident Protests

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch is looking at a substantial increase in his paycheck, following a decision made by the city's finance committee on Monday night. Moving beyond just a cost-of-living adjustment, the committee set in motion a pay raise that would move his annual salary from $159,000 to $285,000. This figure, as reported by WHDH, surpasses the salaries of the mayors of much larger cities, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams at $258,000 and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who earns $207,000.

While this raise represents a 79% increase for Koch, who is serving his seventh term and has not seen a salary change in ten years, it has triggered a wave of discontent among Quincy residents. As the NBC Boston article details, community members voiced their strong opposition, gathering outside the meeting armed with protest signs. Echoing their sentiment were messages like "STOP THE RAISE" and "79% IS WRONG", pointing out the disparity between the mayor's proposed raise and the modest increases for teachers and other city workers.

The approval by the city's finance committee is not the final step in this process. With the salary still requiring the green light from the Quincy City Council, the debate is poised to extend into next week, where the council will determine if the raise will be implemented. The consulting firm that proposed the raise justified the amount by citing the need for competitive mayoral compensation but did not anticipate the controversy now swirling around the decision.

A group of residents, frustrated with the high cost of living in Quincy, reflected the city's broader economic issues, translating their plight into protest signs like "CAN'T AFFORD TO RENT. CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY. CAN'T AFFORD TO RETIRE. CAN'T AFFORD TO DIE." They, draped in the evening chill, hoped their message would resonate not just with other residents but also with those holding the city's purse strings. The Quincy City Council's forthcoming decision on Mayor Koch's pay raise will reveal how deeply these messages have permeated the chambers of local governance.