Evans Gets a Raise—But Not From the Council

Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans got screwed when the council passed pay raises for themselves last December.

The law grants raises only to councilmembers sworn in after Jan. 1, 2007. The starting salary for the two rookie lmembers who will be sworn in Tuesday night will be $122,000. Council vet Evans remains at the low end of the scale at $92,530. He'll get the $22,470 raise if he's re-elected to his seat in 2008.

But no one should feel too sorry for Evans. After all, the council is officially a part-time job---that is, councilmembers are permitted to hold outside employment.

The financial disclosure form Evans filed with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance for 2006 showed his other employer---the Patton Boggs law firm---might have been following the pay-raise debate and figured Evans was due for a boost after some 16 years on the Council. His annual salary at the firm jumped from $187,000 in 2005 to $240,000 in 2006, according to his filing.

Two other councilmembers work outside jobs to supplement the meager council pay. At-Large Councilmember David Catania, who is general counsel for a Northern Virginia company, had not yet filed a financial report due May 15. George Washington University law professor and Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh was not in office during 2006 and is not required to file an outside earnings statement.