As Auburn City Manager Mark Palesh puts the final touches on the budget that he will present to the Auburn City Council next Thursday, he might want to continue his “not business as usual” tactics by dealing with the most politically dangerous and sensitive of all budget items: a pay raise for the mayor and city councilors.

It is long overdue.

The last time an increase was approved, Ronald Reagan was president and Beta was still a video choice. The 1986 value of the $11,816 that the mayor gets and the $9,845 that city councilors get have been eaten away by time.

The gut response by voters is that the mayor and city councilors not only get paid, but get health insurance (which new members of city council have to contribute some percentage to now). They will further state that city hall is not a place to get rich and that such service should be an honor.

In a perfect world, that may be true for these “part-time” jobs, but local citizens don't view most of these jobs, especially mayor, as part-time. They expect to see their elected leaders at every public event and criticize them when they don't show up, even if their “real job” doesn't allow for it.

While critics are quick to spike such talk of raises, they will be the first to carp in a couple of months when the ballot doesn't have “good people” and/or professionals who they believe should “give of their time freely,” for the money that is offered, while they sit on the sidelines outside the arena and contribute only barbs.

The mayor and city councilors shouldn't get rich in their government service, but they also shouldn't be expected to hurt their families and livelihoods when it comes to public service. For example, while lawyers readily served on city council years ago, the time commitment in lost billable hours is much higher than the money paid out bi-weekly to a member of the city council.

While there is no easy way to increase compensation to the mayor and councilors, such increases, as one former member of the council suggested last weekend, should automatically keep up with increases in the Consumer Price Index, at a minimum.

Even if the city manager does do the right thing and puts the raises in the budget, they may be chopped out by those who are looking at their next election. No one wants to be seen as voting for their own pay raise. But for Auburn to encourage more of the community to consider such public service, it needs to have the courage to change the current compensation package.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com