By Staff
The Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that newly minted Governor Pat McCrory is giving a raise to his new cabinet. In spite of McCrory’s campaign which pushed fiscal responsibility and conservatism McCrory has, for the first time in NC history, pushed the over-all pay roll for the Governor’s cabinet above $1.1 million, a $78,000.00 overall raise, at the same time the General Assembly is looking to slash unemployment insurance in order to meet North Carolina’s debt liability to the Federal Government for the program.
gov mccrory
The Governor, himself, also got a salary raise from the General Assembly up to $141,265.00.
The change in the law that allowed the pay raises was made by the Republican controlled General Assembly over the summer. Governor McCrory used this new power to raise cabinet salaries an average of 8%. Four cabinet secretaries (Health and Human Services, Public Safety, Transportation and Commerce) will go from making $121,807.00 a year to making $135,000.
Environment and Natural Resources, Revenue, Administration and Cultural Resources will now take home $128,000 up from the same $121,807 being paid previously in the Perdue Administration.
The DHHS secretary, is not accepting her pay hike and will take home $1.00 a year. State Budget Director a Republican mega-patron Art Pope will also take a token payment.
According to the News & Observer Governor McCrory told them:
“I’m trying to make it at least where they can afford to live while running multi-billion departments.”
The pay raises and the fact that McCrory extended his inaugural celebration from three days (for the Perdue Administration) to a seven-day celebration could be political liabilities when the NCGA and McCrory try to slash state budgets. The over-all cost of the inauguration to tax-payers is not in yet. The NCGA approved $250,000.00 for the event, the same as given to Democrat Perdue (who left office with some of the lowest approval ratings in America). The last inauguration celebration cost the people of North Carolina $125,000.00.
gov. bev perdue
