Mayor vetoes city council pay hike

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WPRI) - A controversial pay raise the New Bedford City Council voted for itself has been blocked by the mayor, at the last minute.

Mayor Jon Mitchell vetoed the 44% pay hike five minutes before it would have gone into effect.

Council members approved the $6,000 annual salary increase two weeks ago as part of an amendment to a city code that never appeared on the council's public agenda or meeting minutes.

Mayor Mitchell says he vetoed the raise over concerns about the transparency of the process.  But City Council President Steven Martins tells Eyewitness News the mayor was on-board with the pay increase and reneged on a mutual agreement.

The mayor says he still supports a fair increase but want the cost-of-living adjustment removed from the raise and wants the public to have more of a say.