BANGOR (AP) – A 400 percent pay hike may sound more than generous, but it’s another story when it’s the first increase in more than half a century.

Until this month, the annual stipend for the nine members of the Bangor City Council remained at $400, the same as it was in 1951 when Harry Truman was president and it cost 3 cents to mail a letter and $1,540 to buy a new Chevrolet.

Thanks to a charter amendment approved by voters three years ago, the stipend has been raised to $2,000, with an additional $500 for the council chairman.

The current chairman, Frank Farrington, opposed the increase, which took effect after the Nov. 2 municipal elections.

“I don’t think anyone is in this for the money,” he said. “You serve because you want to help make your community better. That’s the kind of community Bangor is.”