The Newburgh City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 83 Broadway, to gather input on proposed salary increases for the mayor and six council members.

The hearing will address a proposed amendment to Section C4.00 of the City of Newburgh Charter, which outlines legislative powers and council salaries.

Currently, the charter sets annual salaries at $15,000 for the mayor and $12,000 for each council member, payable in monthly installments. Both positions are part-time.

The latest proposal would increase the mayor’s salary to $22,500, a 50% hike, and raise the salaries of councilmembers at-large, Omari Shakur and Robert McLymore, to $20,000, a 67% increase. The remaining four council members—Ramona Monteverde, Giselle Martinez, Robert Sklarz, and Patty Sofokles—would see their salaries rise to $17,000, representing a 42% increase.

This marks the second attempt to raise salaries this year. In a previous proposal voted on Nov. 12, the council failed to approve increases with a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers Martinez, Monteverde, Sofokles, and Sklarz opposed the measure, while Mayor Torrance Harvey and Councilmembers McLymore and Shakur supported it. That proposal sought larger increases, including raising the mayor’s salary to $25,000 and council salaries to $22,500 and $20,000, depending on the position.

The last salary adjustment for council members occurred in November 2020.

If approved, the new salaries would take effect Jan. 24, 2025, after a 45-day period during which residents could file a petition for a permissive referendum. The law would also require filing with the New York State Secretary of State.

The council may choose to vote on the proposal during the Dec. 9 meeting or postpone the decision to a later date.