Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Salary Increase After Re-election
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is set to receive a $43,000 salary bump, bringing her total compensation to $250,000 in 2026.
This increase is part of a bill that the Boston City Council passed in 2022, which also affects council members’ salaries.
The salary hikes were a topic of debate when the bill was introduced. Initially, there was a proposal for a phased approach after a first vote to raise salaries for councilors to $125,000 starting in 2024 was vetoed by Wu. Under this new structure, salaries would gradually rise from $103,500 to $115,000 in 2024 and then to $120,000 in 2025, ultimately reaching $125,000 in 2026.
City council members will see their pay increase by $5,000, bringing their salaries to $125,000. Traditionally, the mayor’s salary is roughly double that of a council member.
City Council President Lousie Louisjeune suggested the salary increase as a compromise, as some members sought a more significant raise. She stated that the adjusted salaries would align with those in other cities. However, Wu and several councilors raised concerns regarding the contrast between these increases and the wages of lower-income city workers.
All twelve incumbent council members who were re-elected recently will enjoy the $5,000 increase starting in January, along with new council member Miniard Culpepper, who filled the vacant seat left by former councilwoman Tania Fernandez Anderson, who resigned due to federal corruption charges.
Wu secured her position by defeating Josh Kraft, the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, with a 49% margin in the September primary, and was re-elected in the general election held on November 4th. Kraft exited the race following his primary loss.
On a different note, former President Donald Trump has indicated that Boston could lose its chance to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup if Wu does not take stronger measures against crime. He remarked that while he finds Wu intelligent, he disagrees with her policies, labeling her a “radical leftist.”
