Members of the North Hempstead Town Board could be getting a big raise.

A new proposal by interim Supervisor John Riordan would have board members' salaries jump by $15,000 to a total of $55,000, an increase of 37.5 percent. The town's receiver of taxes, the town clerk and the supervisor would also get thousands of dollars in raises.

Riordan says he looked at some of the comparable towns on Long Island to see what their board members were making and noticed that North Hempstead board members hadn't received a raise since 1989.

The interim superintendent says the total for the town board raises would be $140,000, which he says would come out of the town's contingency fund. Riordan says it would not increase the tax rate or cause the 2014 budget to pierce the tax cap.

Residents who spoke to News 12 were split on the issue. Some say they believe that the people who work for the community deserve to be properly paid, while others said they feel that the town officials make enough money.

The measure will be presented and then voted on at a public hearing on Dec. 10.