FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City of New York, Office of the Mayor

New York, New York
April 30, 2007

press release (PDF 99K)

Partnership for New York City Urges Passage of Judicial Pay Raise and Quadrennial Commission Proposal

The Partnership for New York City, representing leadership of the business community, supports legislation passed by the New York State Senate and under consideration in the Assembly that would improve the process for determining compensation of judges, legislators and other senior State officials. The legislation includes retroactive pay raises for judges and would create a Quadrennial Commission that would determine compensation for all state executives, legislators and judges in the future.  Chief Judge Judith Kaye proposed the commission last year, as a way to take politics out of the compensation system.  New York City has successfully employed a commission system since 1986. It has resulted in an open and independent approach to compensation issues.

New York State faces a crisis in the attraction and retention of judges whose salary levels have been frozen since 1999, despite cost of living increases of more than 26 percent. Currently, compensation for New York judges ranks in the bottom half of states nationally. Moreover, Federal District Court judges, with whom State Supreme Court justices historically have enjoyed pay equity, now earn $30,000 more per year. These low salaries have become a significant morale issue for New York State judges and an obstacle to recruitment and retention.

We support giving judges retroactive raises and reforming the way that all senior State officials and legislators get salary increases in the future. Beginning in April 2011, every four years a Quadrennial Commission appointed by the Governor, legislative leaders and the Chief Judge would meet to determine a cost of living adjustment for judges, as well as legislators and State executives, if warranted by economic data and permissible under the budget.

“We understand that governors have used legislative pay increases as a bargaining chip for their own agenda in Albany, and this is tough for any governor to give up,” stated Partnership President & CEO Kathryn Wylde. “But part of changing Albany is to get rid of practices that result in decisions that are made as part of a bargain, rather than on the merits. Putting all salaries into a commission process is an important reform that we believe the legislature should enact.”

About the Partnership for New York City

The Partnership for New York City (www.pfnyc.org) is a network of business leaders dedicated to enhancing the economy of the five boroughs of New York City and maintaining the city’s position as the center of world commerce, finance and innovation.