NBC 10 I-Team: Rhode Island department heads in line for another round of raises

(WJAR) — Top level state bosses in Rhode Island are in line for another round of big raises.

After scaling back large pay hikes in the face of backlash in the fall, the governor is back with more.

Gov. Dan McKee said in the fall that he was still planning to scale up the cabinet level salaries over the course of several years.

The next round of proposed raises, the second of three phases of McKee’s pay plan, were the subject of a hearing at the Department of Administration Wednesday.

New Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor would make more than $238,000.

Josh Saal, who resigned the post under pressure a couple months ago, was making $191,000.

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The Department of Health director would see a nearly $25,000 raise to $175,000.

The Department of Children, Youth and Families director would also get a $25,000 bump.

The prison's boss at the Department of Corrections would get a $20,000 raise. So would the director at the Department of Revenue.

The head of the State Police would get a $14,000 raise, to more than $180,000, following an $11,000 raise last year.

The following list of pay increases for state department directors was provided to NBC 10:

It appears department heads who received raises on the smaller end of the governor’s plan last year would receive raises on the larger end this year.

McKee's office calls the new raises a continuation of his incremental salary plan to attract and keep talented leaders at state agencies.

Senate Republican leader Jessica de la Cruz would rather see Rhode Islanders get tax cuts than pay for raises.

“I think it’s incredibly insensitive to Rhode Islanders and I think really out of touch,” de la Cruz told NBC 10.

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House Republican leader Michael Chippendale would rather see more front line workers at state agencies that he says are top heavy.

“There is a need certainly to compensate our directors and our secretaries appropriately and competitively. But I think we have to temper that with the reality that we’re already investing a lot of money into the leadership of these departments,” Chippendale told NBC 10.

The raise proposals go to lawmakers who have 30 days to take any possible action.

They did not last year, while they were out of session in the fall.

They will be in session this time, though historically they do not block such raises from the governor.