City Council Gravy Train Derailed

Last week, City Councilmember Joseph Addabbo introduced a resolution that would reclassify the employment of city council members as officially "full-time." Right now, Addabbo and his fellow council members are technically the highest paid part-time employees of the city, earning $90,000 each year.

Addabbo's resolution seeks to eliminate some of the stigma of being a part-time legislator. "There is nothing part-time about our job," said Addabbo, who noted that council members routinely work longer than 40 hours a week offering constituent services, attending community meetings and generally working hard for their neighborhoods. Also last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the formation of a commission designed to study the compensation rates of the city's elected officials, including city council members. The three-member commission will meet over the coming months to put together recommendations regarding the salaries and duties of elected officials. The issue will eventually be voted on by the City Council itself.

City council members are probably excited that a raise could be on the way. But a real concern among many city council members is the idea that their jobs could become officially full-time, which would likely cramp the financial style of many members of the legislative body. As part-time employees, city council members are entitled to have jobs outside of their governmental duties, and almost 25 percent are earning handsome sums away from their legislative work.

Financial disclosure information released last year showed 13 council members with outside jobs, including seven working as attorneys. Bronx Council Member and former Attorney General G. Oliver Koppell topped the list, earning anywhere between $141,000 and $350,000 in 2004 according to the vague disclosure statements. Others relied on legal moonlighting as well. Brooklyn's Lew Fidler earned between $85,000 and $225,000 that year, and Staten Island's Michael McMahon and Brooklyn's Dominic Recchia each picked up between $100,000 and $250,000. And these individuals don't just make money as lawyers. 

Brooklyn's Bill de Blasio earned his outside income through political means, taking in between $35,000 and $60,000 managing John Edwards' failed presidential bid in New York State. Fidler and Recchia, at the very least, have publicly indicated their preference to remain part-time legislators, though in name only. When Koppell's opponent in last year's Democratic primary accused him of neglecting the district by spending too much time at his law firm, the veteran lawmaker snapped, declaring that he had always maintained a law practice throughout his elected career and that it had never negatively affected his constituents.

"I don't apologize in any way for having a law practice," said Koppell.

These city council members would have reason to worry if their positions were changed to full-time: their additional income would likely disappear. If the mayor's commission were to recommend a $20,000 pay raise and a conversion to full-time status for city council members, would it pass? Or would the potential of lighter wallets for some of the body's members keep such a suggestion from becoming law?

When Addabbo was elected in 2001, he left his own law practice to focus around-the-clock on his legislative duties. Addabbo said that he saw a problem coming if he stayed in his law practice. Either his constituents or his clients would have suffered for his lack of available time.

"I left my law practice," said Addabbo. "That's what people were owed when they elected me."

Though he made himself a full-time legislator on his own, he understands that some of his colleagues might not be so eager to leave a check behind. Addabbo even introduced his bill as a resolution rather than an intro, which would keep it from becoming law if it passed. For Addabbo, the resolution is more about opening up an exchange of ideas rather than taking money away from his friends. In fact, Addabbo claims that if a change from part-time to full-time status prevented council members from earning outside income, he would abandon his quest.

Even though it might be a change in title alone, Addabbo still feels it is well worth it for the City Council to become a full-time entity. "That part-time label is very antiquated," said Addabbo. "We put in so much time, nobody can argue that we're part-time."