When democracy fades, the voters must take back their power
$850K statues, land deals at a loss, developer tax breaks, and a 79% mayoral raise — it’s time for the residents to fight back. Sign the petition, collect signatures, spread the word.
Aug 13, 2025
TL;DR:
Last year, Quincy’s Mayor and most of the City Council approved massive raises — 79% for the Mayor, ~50% for the Council — despite strong public opposition.
Raises were backed by a flawed consultant report comparing the Mayor’s salary to town managers instead of other mayors.
The State Ethics Commission raised conflict-of-interest concerns.
Other recent controversies show a pattern of questionable priorities and limited transparency:
$850K religious statues for the $175M police HQ (now facing an ACLU lawsuit)
Taking land by eminent domain land and then selling at a $300K loss to a politically connected developer
Major tax breaks for a luxury housing development, despite resident objections
A shrinking rainy-day fund, surging debt service, and a credit outlook downgraded to negative by S&P Global
A citizen petition — Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises — is working to put the Mayor’s and City Council’s raises on the ballot.
Goal: ~6,000 signatures by Sept. 23 so voters, not City Hall, make the final call.
Please see the end of this newsletter for information
The Mayor’s raise is just the most obvious example — but it’s far from the only one.
Exhibit A: Salarygate and the Dorminson Report
To justify the Mayor’s record-setting raise, the city hired Dorminson Consulting. Instead of comparing Quincy’s mayoral salary to other mayors, they cherry-picked town managers — a completely different job structure — to inflate the numbers.
When residents pointed this out, the Council largely shrugged. In AJQ’s Surfing the Waives blog post, Councilors rushed the vote, mumbled through key procedural moments, and offered almost no debate — despite hundreds of residents signing petitions against the raise. Only one councilor even floated a lower number, and it went nowhere.
This is important. We need as many Quincy people as possible to read this.
Exhibit B: Letters to the Editor — Law, Ethics, and Common Sense
AJQers reminded the Quincy Sun — and all of us — that the City Charter forbids raises for the Mayor or Council from taking effect during their current term.
Citing luminaries like Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin concerned residents point out why salary hikes shouldn’t be used to entrench incumbents or curry political favor. They also noted the absurdity of giving an 80% raise in a so-called “lean fiscal year” — especially when the Mayor himself warned of budget cuts.
Exhibit C: State Ethics Commission Warning
The Massachusetts State Ethics Commission has already raised conflict-of-interest concerns over the Mayor and Council voting raises for themselves. State law is clear: you can’t participate in matters where you have a direct financial interest. Yet here we are.
Exhibit D: $850,000 Religious Statues at the $175M Police HQ
The new Public Safety HQ will include two 10-foot bronze Catholic saints. The $850,000 plan was never disclosed to the Council during funding discussions. It wasn’t disclosed at all until a whistle-blower leaked it to the press.
It’s now the subject of a lawsuit filed by 15 Quincy Residents of various faiths with the support of the ACLU of Massachusetts, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, arguing it violates the Constitution and the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights.
Exhibit E: Land Taken by Eminent Domain — Sold at a Loss
The city took 1620 Hancock Street by eminent domain in 2022 for $2.2M. Now, Mayor Koch wants to sell it to Boston Global Investors for $1.9M — a $300,000 loss — for a high-end apartment project. The original owner is suing, claiming the city’s compensation was too low.
Exhibit F: The Grossman Companies’ Tax Break
With unanimous Council approval (and zero discussion), a zoning change made Grossman Companies eligible for a significant tax break on a luxury residential/retail project — with no plan for any affordable housing.
Nine residents spoke against it. None spoke for it. The Mayor’s team pitched the incentive as necessary to land a Whole Foods. But some residents argued the motive behind the tax break was murky, noting that Grossman’s had already presented its plans and begun the permitting process before the Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) was even up for discussion — and believed the project would proceed without it.
Exhibit G: The FY2026 Budget — Praise Over Planning
On May 5, the Mayor presented a $456M budget for FY2026 — 8.6% higher than last year. But instead of a detailed financial roadmap, the speech was long on civic pride and short on fiscal reality.
Here’s what’s buried in the budget documents but absent from the Mayor’s remarks:
Debt service is exploding — up from $57.5M to $75M, plus a jump in short-term interest from $8.4M to $14M.
S&P Global downgraded Quincy’s credit outlook to negative S&P Global downgraded Quincy’s credit outlook to negative in April — yet the budget still describes it as “stable.” A couple of months later, they would also lower the city’s credit rating to AA-.
Reserves are shrinking — rainy-day fund contributions dropped from $6M in FY2024 to just $2M.
Health insurance costs are rising sharply — up $4.5M to $64.5M (14% of the entire budget).
No plan to address Quincy’s structural deficit or long-term financial imbalance.
Instead of probing these red flags, Councilors responded with praise — likening the debt increase to “putting shingles on a roof.” No one asked how the city will manage debt, rebuild reserves, or prevent further downgrades.
The Pattern is Clear
Again and again, Quincy’s elected leaders have ignored resident outrage and dismissed public input. They’ve pushed through massive raises for themselves, handed out costly deals to well-connected developers, and approved spending sprees on pet projects — all while avoiding tough questions about our city’s finances. These choices don’t just strain the budget; they strengthen incumbents’ grip on power and make it harder for new voices to break through.
The Ballot Question: Our Best Shot at Accountability
The group Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises (QCFR) is collecting signatures to put the Mayor’s raise on the ballot. They need 6,000 signatures by September 1.
In 2013, a citizen petition extended the Mayor’s term from two years to four — even though turnout was just 17%, far below the one-third threshold the City Charter says is required. That change still stands today. If it could happen then, it can happen now.
Your To-Do List
Sign the petition — find a signing location or volunteer with QCFR
Help gather signatures — every person you bring in is one step closer to voter control over this raise
Talk to your neighbors — many don’t know the details or the stakes
This isn’t just about one raise. It’s about whether Quincy’s residents still have the final say in how their city is run.
Let’s make sure they do.
Angry John Quincy telling you to participate
A message from Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises:
Thank you so much for your continued support and activism on this campaign. We know this is bigger than just one raise or one mayor. This is about making sure that Quincy voters and tax payers have a say in the decisions that impact our taxes, our community, and our future!
For those of you who have not signed yet, please go to one of these porches to find the petition and sign! (Thank you to our porch volunteers!!)
9 Hutchinson Lane, Marina Bay
12 Poplar Road, Adams Shore, and
15 Glendale Road, in the Hospiital Hill neighborhood, just west of Quincy Center.
If that doesn’t work for you, we will also have volunteers at both Stop and Shops and Star Market from 10-2 Saturday and Sunday, at Wolly Beach Wednesday’s from 6-8, and Ruth Gordon Amphitheater from 6-8 on Friday’s, so look out for folks with clipboards when you are out and about!
Can’t make it to any of these options? Reply to this email with your address and phone number and a volunteer will come to you!
6,000 signatures is a lot to get in a short time but with your help we can absolutely get this done! If you are able please consider signing up for a shift! Share this form far and wide! We need many volunteers to get this done!
https://airtable.com/appfExW76Oe9zXIFU/pagG2mi1AOUXovIfP/form
Thanks for your continued support for this effort.
