Parliament passes law to increase the salaries of local elected officials and local government employees

The Chamber of Deputies voted, on Tuesday, as a decision-making chamber, the bill to increase local government salaries, after several meetings with scandal in Parliament. Mayors, vice-mayors, presidents of County Councils and vice-presidents, as well as employees from local administrations, will benefit from the increase.

The draft law passed by 168 votes “in favour” and 79 votes “against”. Four deputies abstained. USR announced in plenary that it does not vote for the increases and will challenge them in the Constitutional Court. After voting on the increases in the Senate, AUR lawmakers voted against in the Chamber of Deputies.

The plenary approved the decision previously taken in the labor and budget-finance committees, by which the increase in the salaries of officials was waived, with the exception of mayors, vice-mayors, presidents and vice-presidents of the county councils. According to the law adopted by the Parliament, the increases would come into force on November 1.

After the increases, the mayor of the Capital, for example, would receive more by a gross sum of 2,200 lei gross. The salaries of the mayors of large cities will increase by 1,650 lei gross, up to 17,250 lei gross, those of the mayors of large cities will reach 13,800 lei (+1,300 lei), and the mayors of large municipalities will earn 11,500 lei gross, compared to 10,500 at present.

The staff from local administrations will also receive more money, their salaries being determined according to the allowance of the vice-mayor or the vice-president of the County Council.

Previously, in the form adopted by the Senate, the law provided for an increase in the salaries of all dignitaries, including the president, ministers, parliamentarians, heads of institutions such as the Romanian Academy, the Competition Council, AEP or the Court of Accounts.

The ruling coalition decided at the last minute to amend in the Chamber of Deputies the draft adopted by the Senate that provides for an increase in the salaries of dignitaries and those in the local administration. Thus, according to an amendment submitted by the PSD and PNL groups in the Chamber of Deputies, only local elected officials and employees from local administrations will benefit from increases.