VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach City Council is no longer planning to discuss a proposed pay increase for the mayor and council members that would have given them their first raise in 20 years.
Discussion about an ordinance to increase the salaries of the Virginia Beach mayor and city council members was scheduled for the Nov. 25 council meeting at 6 p.m., but was pulled from the agenda.
Under the proposed ordinance, council members' pay would rise from $28,000 to more than $48,000; the mayor's salary would increase from $30,000 to just under $52,000.
The last time Virginia Beach approved a pay increase for these positions was in 2005, when council pay rose from $18,000 to $28,000 and the mayor's salary increased from $20,000 to $30,000.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $28,000 in 2005 dollars is worth about $47,689, and $30,000 translates to about $51,095, meaning the raises are in line with inflation.
Last week, Virginia Beach residents had an opportunity to weigh in about the possible pay increase during a public hearing. Several people spoke out against potential salary increases for elected leaders, citing the recent government shutdown, which is the longest in history.
"Now you want to come to us and tell us right before Thanksgiving, when you'd vote on it, that you deserve a 70 percent, a 70 percent pay increase?" One resident said. "Are you out of your mind?...What in God's name makes you think you deserve that?...70 percent is absolutely criminal. Do not do it."
Mayor Bobby Dyer told News 3 last week that he opposes the proposal and said he would not accept the pay increase, even if it passes.
"I am really against this," Dyer said. "The timing could not be worse when we take a look at what's going on with inflation. We're just finishing a national shutdown that inflicted a tremendous amount of pain on people, and here we are speaking about a significant pay raise. I don't think so."
Councilman David Hutcheson, who requested to defer the subject Tuesday afternoon, previously told News 3 higher pay could encourage more residents to run for office, including those who maybe on the fence because they cannot afford to leave their full-time jobs.
Several council members had argued the delay until 2027 means the adjustment targets future officeholders rather than current ones.
