New York, NY - City Hearing on Council Wage Hikes

New York, NY - Now that Election Day is over, the 51 members of the City Council will turn to some unfinished business.
Like holding a public hearing today on a bill to give themselves a $22,500 pay raise - at an annual combined cost to taxpayers of $1,147,500.

The hearing by the Governmental Operations Committee is set to start at 4:30 p.m., ostensibly to make it more convenient for potential witnesses to go to City Hall after they're done working for the day.

But no one would be very surprised if few - or no - members of the public show up to testify on the bill.
"I'll stay all night if there are people who want to testify," said committee Chairman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn). "But that's not going to happen."
He said that while many taxpayers might object to the Council voting itself a raise - from $90,000 to $112,500 - "to actually have them come [to City Hall and testify] is another story.". "They don't want to waste their time," added Felder.