SAN CRISTOBAL. - The mayor of San Cristobal (south) last night denounced that with the approved salary raise from 104,000 to 154,905 pesos, the councilpersons aim to pay for the "big SUVs" they had bought, though oppose increasing a worker’s RD$3,500 wage.

Jose Montás was referring to the 16 councilpersons, eight of which of the ruling PLD party, would altogether make 29.74 million pesos, per year.

He said some of them had taken 700,000-peso loans from the Reservas bank to acquire the SUVs, "and now, since the bank discounts almost all their wage, they are looking for how to compensate."

The mayor said to increase their wages the councilpersons take funds away from the budgets of the Municipal Library, Culture, Municipal Police, the Firemen and the Environment Department.

Each councilmember makes a 75,000 peso base pay, plus a 6,250 Christmas bonus, 10,500 from Social Security, 8,300 for gasoline and another bonus of 4,165 pesos. The 50,000 peso increase equals 49 percent of their monthly wage.

"The councilpersons’ erred decision sensibly affects the municipality’s administrative work and services to the community, when trying to take away approximately 10 million in the budgetary allocations corresponding to social assistance, machineries and equipment, uniforms, books and magazines, tires and spare parts, as well as cleaning materials," Montás said.