Email regarding Council Pay Raises
June 25, 2007

To: Kathleen Johnson, Director, Department of Human Resources
To: Michael Conrad, Treasurer
To: Robert Allard, Chief Financial Officer

From: Barbara Haller, District 4 City Councilor

By way of this written communication, I respectfully request and authorize you to take the following actions regarding my monthly compensation as a Worcester City Councilor:

1. reduce my monthly compensation to the amount that was in effect prior to the January 10, 2007 increase.

2. adjust my next payroll check(s) to reverse the entire amount that has been paid to me over and above the old salary schedule.

The intent of this correspondence is to correct my compensation such that my entire compensation for the period beginning January 10, 2007 is equivalent to my compensation prior to the January 10, 2007 increase - that my compensation past and future be as if no compensation increase was applied.

For the record and by way of explanation for this request:

I completely supported then Mayor Murray's effort to correct a structural flaw in city council compensation. I share his concerns that interest in committed elected service to the city is diminished by the lack of adequate compensation. For my district, District 4, this flaw is magnified. Many individuals in my district who may wish to serve are financially restricted due to expenses of child care, elder care, transportation, charitable givings, and the need for family income.

I believe that returning City Council compensation to the sum established in 1989 adjusted for inflation would serve to increase qualified candidates for elected office. For that reason I have stood firm in my resolve to support the compensation increase of January 10, 2007.

The Council has now voted to rescind this increase. Due to charter rules this rescission cannot take effect until January 2008. The result is that the compensation increase voted will serve no one but those presently serving - there is no future benefit. My votes in support of the increased compensation were taken because I believe that the system needs to be reformed for the future of our city and not for what resulted - a pay increase for one year and solely for my own personal benefit.

Therefore, I am requesting the actions above. Likewise, I hereby waive all claims against the City and its officers and employees to the salary amounts unpaid as a result of this authorization.

Thank you for your dedicated service to our City.

Sincerely,

Barbara G. Haller
Moving forward together.

Cc: Michael O'Brien
David Rushford
Konstantina Lukes
James DelSignore
David Moore