What just happened?

Well, we aren’t sure. But this is today’s press release from the city:

Mayor, Councilors Won’t Accept Raises Until New Elected Terms

Mayor Thomas Koch and City Council President Ian Cain announced today that the salary increases set for elected officials will be deferred until the start of the next elected terms—2026 for the Council and 2028 for the Mayor.

“There’s a lot of important work ahead, and we don’t need distractions. I love this job, I love Quincy, and I’m committed to making sure we stay on track for progress,” said Mayor Koch.

“We’ve listened to feedback from the community and, after careful consideration, we’re making the prudent decision to defer these raises,” said Council President Cain.

Both Mayor Koch and Council President Cain expressed their commitment to maintaining transparency and ensuring that any future salary adjustments are fair and thoughtful. The deferred raises are codified through the original ordinance, and a formal process will be established to guide any future adjustments.

“This structured approach will allow for greater clarity moving forward, providing a clear framework for how and when raises are addressed in the future,” Council President Cain added.

Needless to say, we were surprised. We learned about this development from members of the press contacting us for comment. We released a statement to the press before we were able to see the exact wording of the city’s announcement. It reads:

A Just Quincy is very gratified to hear that the elected leaders of Quincy have decided to pause and take into account the voices of the people they represent. We look forward to reading the city’s official announcement and supporting legislation and consulting on both with legal and financial experts within our group. And we will continue to pursue AJQ’s mission of making Quincy’s government more just, accountable, and transparent by providing information to residents and supporting leaders and candidates who uphold these values.

It is our sincere hope that this is a step towards the complete rescinding of the raise ordinances and a fair, transparent process that leads to sensible raises for our elected leaders. Of course, we have questions on how this will all work out and what is meant by certain parts of the press release. But, for tonight, we are putting aside these questions, giving the city and the process the benefit of the doubt, and crediting our leaders for being responsive to the concerns of the residents.

We encourage everyone who supports A Just Quincy to enjoy this hopeful feeling and stay vigilant with us. Our movement started with anger over the raises, but our mission is beyond that now.

On that note, you should get a sign to hang up for Halloween.