Extra compensation to public officers prohibited.

CONSTITUTION ARTICLE  XI, Section 2

Adopted: November 24, 1982 by a popular vote of   322,557 in favor and 241,597 against.

“In January of 1978, the citizens of Bridgeport were outraged when the mayor … awarded himself a fifty per cent pay raise.”

--John Gorotto, Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee member,  testifying at a Government Administration and Elections committee public hearing held on February 24, 1981 to consider a  proposed constitutional amendment  which would clarify that a constitutional prohibition on midterm raises also applies to elected municipal officers.

In 1978, the citizens of Bridgeport sued and obtained an injunction blocking the pay raises. On appeal, the Connecticut supreme court upheld the injunction on other grounds, but ruled that the pay raise did not violate article eleventh, section 2 of the constitution.  The court ruled that the constitution prohibited cities from paying gratuities to municipal employees but did not forbid the establishment of properly legislated salary increases.  Scalo v. Mandanici, 179 Conn. 140, 425 A2d 1272 (1979).