How much is public service in the District worth? This Tuesday the D.C. Council might tell us.

In its last legislative session of the year, the council will be debating a number of measures and proposals, one that would provide funds for the trasitions of mayor-elect Adrian Fenty and council chair-elect Vincent Gray. But more than just provide them with the money needed to prep their teams for next January’s handover of power, the legislation in question — the “Mayor and Chairman of the Council Transition Emergency Act of 2006,” introduced by Linda Cropp at the behest of D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams — would offer both the mayor and the council chair hefty raises. Should the legislation pass, Fenty will see his mayoral salary rise from $152,000 to $200,000, while Gray would go from making $142,000 to taking in $190,000.

But those may not be the only raises discussed. D.C. Watch reports today that Council-member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) is pushing an amendment that would give he and his colleagues a raise of their own, pushing their salary from the current $92,000 to $115,000. Outgoing Council-member Vincent Orange is also set to propose an increase, this one pushing council salaries to $140,000 — a $48,000 increase.

The raises for the mayor and the council chair are relatively uncontroversial — after all, the District’s new head librarian, Ginnie Cooper, is earning $205,000 a year, and many a political observer have argued that the salaries for the city’s top political leaders are lower than they should be given housing costs and what other comparable figures across the country make. But D.C. Watch government watchdog Dorothy Brizill is calling foul on the council raises, arguing that they amount to far too much money far too quick for the part-time workers:

Citizens should be angry at the underhanded way in which councilmembers will be rewarding themselves. The amendment to Bill 16-965 and the Orange emergency bill will be introduced, publicly discussed, and voted on for the first time on Tuesday. There will be no opportunity for the public to debate or discuss it, or to weigh in with councilmembers on the issue, and the pay raise will be passed as an “emergency,” even though no one believes there is any actual emergency requirement for a pay raise. Councilmembers were elected on November 7 fully knowing the position’s salary, and, with the exception of the chairman, council positions are part time (under DC law, only the chairman is precluded from holding outside employment).

So are the raises a necessary recognition of the costs of public service, or last minute self-serving measures for a quick buck? If you’re one to think the latter, you may want to get down to the council tomorrow and let them know. If not, running for an open council seat might not be a bad idea — the pay isn’t too bad, after all.