Projo Politics Blog

By Randal Edgar

CRANSTON, RI -- Cranston's city charter spells out what City Council members are paid. Eight members receive $4,000 a year and the council president receives $5,000.

Historically, the city's personnel office has been responsible for ensuring that council members are paid. But an internal dispute over whether the responsibility lies with personnel or the city clerk -- who technically works for the council -- has the council considering an ordinance that would make council members city employees "for record keeping purposes."

The ordinance specifies that the responsibility for making sure council members are paid, and for maintaining records on whether they choose to participate in the state pension system, lies with the personnel director.

Council President John E. Lanni Jr., who proposed the change, said it simply spells out that council payroll will be handled the way it always has.

That's good news for council members, especially new members who were elected in November and might be wondering what happened to their first paychecks.
"We have some new members of the council who haven't been paid yet," Lanni said.

 Tags  Cranston John Lanni

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