PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Chafee is proposing back-to-back raises for his cabinet members of 3 percent in June, and 3 percent again in December.
The proposed raises will be aired at a public hearing conducted by the state Department of Administration, at 9 a.m. Friday, according to a notice that went up late Tuesday.
Among those who would benefit: Richard Licht, director of the Department of Administration, whose base annual salary would increase from $130,010 to $137,927 over six months.
The notice, which lists the proposed raises, describes them as "consistent with general salary increases for other union and non-union state employees occurring on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011 and Sunday, June 19, 2011."
The last across-the-board raise for cabinet members was on June 30, 2002, though the salaries for several individual directors were raised by former Gov. Donald Carcieri between 2005-08.
State law requires the governor to decide in March whether he will seek raises for his cabinet. Chafee's decision comes at a time when his administration is facing the need to negotiate new contracts with most of the state's unionized workforce.