Budget Includes $10K Pay Hike For Governor's Council

The state budget now on Gov. Charlie Baker's desk includes a $10,000 pay raise for the Governor's Council, a part-time elected body that votes on judicial nominations.

The Boston Herald reports that lawmakers included the increase in the $38.1 billion spending plan that won final approval in the House and Senate on Wednesday. It would boost councilors' annual salary from $26,025 to $36,025 per year.

The eight-member council is a vestige of colonial-era government and there have been periodic calls over the years to abolish it.

The panel generally meets once a week, but councilor Eileen Duff says a pay increase is justified because she and her colleagues often put in 25 to 30 hours of work a week on council-related matters.

Baker has 10 days to review the budget.