Mayor who wants huge raise sparks outrage by spending $850,000 of taxpayer cash on two musclebound STATUES from Italy

The mayor of a Massachusetts city sparked uproar amongst locals after spending $850,000 in taxpayer funds on two statues, while asking for an eyewatering pay rise.

Mayor of Quincy Thomas Koch, 62, forked out the large sum while having the two musclebound bronze statues, both of Catholic saints, made in Italy.

The two 10-foot tall statues will adorn the new $175 million public safety building in the city, one is St. Florian, patron saint of firefighters.

The other is a ripped version of St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of police officers, standing with his feet resting on the head of a horned figure.

According to his own chief of staff who spoke at a recent City Council Meeting the whole idea was Koch’s and he commissioned the statues unilaterally.

Koch currently serves as an independent, but was a Democrat until 2018. He recently sparked fury by saying teachers and sports coaches sexually abuse more children than Catholic priests and that the Catholic church’s sex scandals have been caused by gay priests.

The Boston Globe reported that he failed to tell anyone else about the statues, with officials in the city only finding out after the Patriot Ledger broke the story.

Opponents of the statues have filed suit in Norfolk Superior Court, saying they violate the state Declaration of Rights by promoting one religion over others.

On Tuesday a judge in the case granted a preliminary injunction which has temporarily blocked the statues from being placed outside the building.

Mayor of Quincy Thomas Koch, 62, forked out the large sum while having the two bronze statues, both of Catholic saints, made in Italy

A ten foot statue of St Michael, seen here, is to be placed in a new $175 million public safety building, but legal action threatens that

Judge William F. Sullivan granted the plaintiffs in the case, made up of local residents, a preliminary injunction while denying the city’s motion to throw the case out.

A ruling said: ‘Victims and witnesses entering such a building often must overcome emotional and psychological hurdles, and intimidation to report crimes and seek police assistance.

‘Central to their concerns is the question of whether the police will treat their claims with the gravity warranted and treat them equally as any other individual, regardless of religious beliefs.

‘Viewed in this context, the Complaint raises plausible claims that the statutes are not merely passive or benign but serve as part of a broader message as to who may be favored.’

Koch, a staunch Catholic, responded to the ruling in a statement saying he had picked the two saints to honor first responders and not to promote any religion.

He added: ‘These figures are recognized symbols of courage and sacrifice in police and fire communities across the world.’

According to the Mayor he is planning on appealing the ruling that was handed down earlier this week.

On top of residents being up in arms over the statues, Koch has won City Council approval for a $126,000 pay rise, increasing his salary to $285,000. It has been deferred to 2028 due to an ongoing state ethics investigation.

Public records indicate that Koch stays inside a home, pictured here, that is valued at $750,000 in Quincy

One of the statues is St. Florian, patron saint of firefighters, which the mayor commissioned himself

Such a hike would make him the highest-paid mayor in the state, and one of the highest-paid in the whole country.

He has defended the raise despite a local group, called ‘Quincy Citizens for Fair Rises’, petitioning for the increase to go to a public vote in November’s municipal elections.

In an interview with the Boston Globe published on Wednesday, Koch said: ‘The minute an elected official goes for a raise, all hell breaks loose.’

He added that the raise is fair, seeing himself as a chief executive who works 24/7 and oversees 2,000 employees.

Public records seen by the Daily Mail indicate that Koch resides in a home valued at $750,000.

The petition to roll back the increase failed to collect enough signatures, with organizers claiming the city is actively disenfranchising its voters.