Quincy Mayor's Big Pay Raise Plan Hits a Snag

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch is in hot water. He's been hit with a $55, 000 fine for breaking campaign finance rules. The state found that his campaign team messed up big time. They took money from the wrong sources and didn't keep good records. The state's Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) found that Koch's campaign took money from people who weren't supposed to give it. They also took money from businesses, which is not allowed. Plus, they accepted anonymous donations through PayPal. That's a no-no.Koch's team had to pay back $55, 000 to make things right. They also promised to be more careful in the future. But this isn't the only trouble Koch is facing. He's also been trying to give himself a huge raise. He wanted to go from making $159, 141 to $285, 000. That's a lot of money! After people complained, he lowered his ask to $225, 000. But many in Quincy still think it's too much. Especially since he's also spending $850, 000 of taxpayer money on statues of saints. Some people think he should focus on more important things. Koch says he's not just doing this for himself. He says it's about the mayor's position. But he hasn't even decided if he's running again. This whole situation makes people question his judgment. It's a lot to think about for the people of Quincy.