Quincy initiative to curtail mayor's 79% raise won't make it to the ballot

A ballot initiative to roll back a 79% pay raise for Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch won't make it to the November ballot, according to the effort's organizers.

Koch, the seven-term mayor, is set to earn $285,000 in 2028 if he is re-elected. His massive pay bump was approved by the city council last year, but a group of Quincy residents say his raise should be brought down to something more "reasonable."

The ballot initiative, backed by the group Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises, needed 5,673 signatures to put the question to voters. But of the 7,000 names collected, the city clerk's office certified just 4,545 signatures, according to the petition's organizers.

According to a Boston Globe report, the clerk's office confirmed the group's effort fell short.

In a statement, the group thanks the clerk's office for all its work but disagreed with how it conducted the certification, particularly around signature legibility.

"The printed names provided by signers demonstrate a clear intent to participate, yet the City did not consider them when assessing legibility," the group wrote in a statement. "Many legal signatures are not naturally legible, and the printed names should reasonably be used to match signers to the voter file."

The group said the voices of those who put their name on the petition "must not be dismissed."

"True democracy demands that voter intent take precedence over bureaucratic technicalities," the statement said.

Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises said it's exploring legal options to get the question in front of voters.

Koch has argued his likely raise was a bargain when compared to the of CEOs that run companies with a similar budget as Quincy's.

“It's with all humility that I do this, but I've had one raise in 17 years,” he said on a city-run podcast last year. “We are a $500 million corporation. We have thousands of employees. We are a 24/7 operation. We have put together an incredible renaissance in the city and development and public parks and schools.

“I think I'm performing fairly well.”

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to correct when Koch is eligible for reelection.