Newark’s Secret Pay Raises: How Your Council Hides Employee Salary Increases in Plain Sight
Newark’s City Council has mastered the art of political sleight of hand — approving employee pay raises through a bureaucratic shell game that keeps taxpayers in the dark while government workers get richer.
On October 9, 2025, Mayor Hannon and his council unanimously approved “salary schedule amendments” for July 1 and July 11, 2025, buried deep in the consent calendar where most residents never look. No public discussion. No cost analysis. No explanation of which employees got raises or how much taxpayers will pay for these retroactive increases.
The Consent Calendar Shell Game
Here’s how Newark’s political machine operates: They take controversial spending decisions — like employee pay raises — and bury them in the “consent calendar,” a section of meeting agendas designed for routine, non-controversial items that get approved with a single vote.
The consent calendar is supposed to handle items like:
- Routine contract renewals
- Standard administrative approvals
- Uncontroversial procedural matters
Instead, Newark uses it to hide:
- Employee salary increases
- Retroactive pay raises
- Compensation adjustments that cost taxpayers thousands
When Mayor Hannon, Vice Mayor Little, and Council Members Jorgens, Grindall, and Catancio approved the consent calendar, they signed off on salary increases without a word of public discussion.
Retroactive Raises: Double-Dipping Taxpayers
The July 1 and July 11, 2025 salary schedule amendments represent retroactive pay raises — meaning Newark employees already received these increases months ago, and the council just made them official in October.
This creates a troubling dynamic:
- Employees get immediate pay increases
- Taxpayers fund the raises without knowing about them
- The council approves them months later through bureaucratic paperwork
- Residents discover the costs only by reading dense meeting minutes
It’s government by fait accompli — decisions made first, approvals granted later, public input never requested.
The Missing Details That Matter
The meeting minutes reveal nothing about these salary amendments that taxpayers deserve to know:
Which positions received raises? Were these across-the-board increases or targeted adjustments for specific departments?
How much do these raises cost annually? What’s the total taxpayer impact of these July salary adjustments?
What justifies retroactive increases? Why weren’t these raises planned and approved before implementation?
How do these compare to private sector wages? Are Newark employees now overpaid compared to similar positions in the community?
The council provided none of this information. They gave residents bureaucratic language and a unanimous vote.
The Pattern of Payroll Secrecy
These July salary amendments fit a troubling pattern in Newark’s governance:
- Executive compensation enhancements approved without cost analysis
- Contract amendments expanding consultant payments
- Salary increases hidden in consent calendar approvals
- Financial decisions made without meaningful public input
When government officials consistently hide employee compensation decisions from taxpayers, they’re not protecting privacy — they’re avoiding accountability.
Who Benefits from Salary Secrecy?
While Newark families struggle with inflation, rising housing costs, and economic uncertainty, their city government quietly approves employee pay raises that increase the tax burden on working residents.
Consider the timing: July salary increases approved in October suggest either:
- Poor planning by city management
- Deliberate delay to avoid public scrutiny during summer months
- Retroactive approval of raises that exceeded budgeted amounts
None of these explanations serve taxpayer interests.
The Real Cost of Government Growth
Every dollar spent on employee salary increases represents money that can’t be used for:
- Road repairs in residential neighborhoods
- Enhanced public safety services
- Reduced fees for business licenses and permits
- Lower property taxes for struggling homeowners
When council members approve salary amendments without public discussion, they’re prioritizing government employee benefits over community needs.
What Transparency Should Look Like
Before approving any employee salary changes, Newark residents deserve:
Complete Financial Impact: The total annual cost of all salary amendments and their impact on city budgets.
Position-by-Position Breakdown: Which jobs received raises, how much, and what performance metrics justified the increases.
Comparative Analysis: How Newark employee compensation compares to similar positions in Fremont, Union City, and other Bay Area communities.
Public Hearing Opportunity: Meaningful chances for taxpayers to comment on compensation decisions before they’re implemented.
The Unanimous Vote Problem
When five elected officials unanimously approve employee pay raises without debate, it suggests either:
- Lack of independent thinking about fiscal responsibility
- Pre-arranged agreements that circumvent public input
- Insufficient concern for taxpayer impact of compensation decisions
Mayor Hannon, Vice Mayor Little, and Council Members Jorgens, Grindall, and Catancio should explain why they consistently agree on spending taxpayer money without meaningful discussion.
Breaking the Secrecy Cycle
Newark residents can demand better transparency by:
Attending Council Meetings: Ask specific questions about salary amendments during public comment periods.
Requesting Details: Demand itemized breakdowns of all compensation changes approved through consent calendar votes.
Following the Money: Track how much city employee compensation has increased over the past five years compared to resident income growth.
Holding Officials Accountable: Ask council members to explain why they approve salary increases without public discussion.
The Bottom Line
Newark’s July salary schedule amendments represent a troubling trend: government officials who hide employee compensation decisions from the taxpayers who fund them.
When city councils bury pay raises in consent calendar approvals, they’re not streamlining government efficiency — they’re avoiding public accountability for spending decisions that affect every resident’s tax burden.
The unanimous approval of these retroactive salary increases without public discussion reveals council members more concerned with employee satisfaction than taxpayer protection.
Newark residents deserve elected officials who treat public money with the same care they’d show their own — and that means open, honest discussion of every dollar spent on government employee compensation.
Sources: Newark City FINAL October 9 2025 minutes.pdf
