It’s all about the Washingtons.
Rep. Lehman (317-232-9677) has introduced HB 1116 which up for second reading on Monday. It creates a process by which County and City officers can waive their compensation. There is already a process in place for town officials but the legislation specifies that a partial waiver is an option.
I’m actually not in favor of this legislation. It seems like a win for taxpayers if officials waive their compensation, and maybe it is short-term. But, long-term, I think this creates political pressure for candidates to make campaign promises about waiving their compensation. And that gives wealthier candidates another leg up. I think our democratic institutions work best if offices are populated by competent, mostly middle class citizens. Not that rich people can’t do a good job. Often enough, they may have become rich by being very competent. But that’s not necessarily the case, and you want officeholders who are attuned to the lives of the citizenry and the challenges that they face.
Well said Doug.
Keep government in the hands of all the people, just not those that can afford to not get paid to hold the office.