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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 02281989 - 2.3 d2y 3 f � TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra Phil Batchelor FROM: County Administrator Costa x February 23 , 1989 Count/ DATE: Orr--co-----10 c Practices Used in Other Counties to Set SUBJECT: salaries for Members of the Board of Supervisors SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION• Accept the report from County Administrator identifying processes used in other counties to set the salary of the Board of Supervisors and determine what action the Board wishes to take. BACKGROUND: I . On January 17, 1989, we provided the Board with the following information relating to the salary of the Board of Supervisors: A. Comparison with Other Urban Counties: Members of the Board of Supervisors are currently paid an annual salary of $38, 124 ( $3177 monthly) . The salary paid to the Board of Supervisors currently ranks 15th among California counties, despite the fact that Contra Costa County is the 9th largest county in terms of population. Six counties which have a smaller population than Contra Costa County pay their Boards of Supervisors a higher salary than does Contra Costa County, as follows: COUNTY RANK BY POPULATION SALARY San Mateo 11 $50, 580 Ventura 12 $44, 496 CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: X RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE X APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON - February 28, 1989 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER X ACCEPTED report and TABLED 'the matter. VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT I I I ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS _ONN THE DATE SHOWN. p� CC: County Administrator ATTESTED Personnel Director PHIL BATCHELOR,4ERK OF THE BOARD OF County Counsel SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR M382 (10/88) BY DEPUTY .. L Page 2 COUNTY RANK BY POPULATION SALARY Kern 14 $52, 512 San Joaquin 15 $38,652 Sonoma 16 $42, 576 Monterey 18 $44, 184 B. Comparison with ,Similarly Paid County Classifications: Representative of the large number of classifications where members of the Board of Supervisors are paid less than their own employees are the following: COUNTY CLASSIFICATION SALARY (MONTHLY) Steamfitter $3720 Court Reporter $3636 Sheriff ' s Sergeant $.3546 Auditor III $3490 Building Inspector II $3353 Electrician $3270 Senior Firefighter $3254 Public Works Maintenance Specialist $3241 Member, Board of Supervisors .$3177 C. Increase in Level of Activity of Board Members: When Contra Costa County was a smaller and more rural county, the role of members of the Board of Supervisors was correspondingly easier and demanded little time commitment beyond the Tuesday Board meetings. Most members of the Board of Supervisors held full-time or nearly full-time jobs apart from their county responsibilities. Since the current members of the Board of Supervisors have been on the Board, Contra Costa County has become a far more complex community. Many of . the transportation, environmental and human services issues which now demand major time commitments from Board Members did not exist, or were not- major concerns for the county, fifteen or twenty years ago. Recognition needs to be given to the fact that Board Members now devote far more than the traditional 40 hours a week to their responsibilities as County Supervisors. It is not at all unusual for Board Members to commit 12 or more hours a day six or seven days a week to the job of being a County Supervisor. In fact, it is not uncommon for Board Members to put in 16-hour days. II . Salary Setting Practices in Other Counties: In response to the Board' s request of January 17, 1989, the County Administrator ' s Office surveyed several urban counties to determine how they go about setting their Board' s salaries. The following summarizes the method used to set the Board' s salary in these counties: Page 3 600 of the salary of a Superior Court. Judge If our County were to use this method, the Board would receive an .annual salary of $50, 859. 800 of the salary of a Municipal Court Judge It our County were to use this method, the Board would rieceive an annual salary of $61 , 927. 5,0% of the salary of a Municipal Court' Judge Ifour County were to use this method, the Board would receive, an annual salary of $38,704. 50 . Average of ten largest counties in the State If our County were to use this method, the Board would receive an annual salary of $52 ,222 . Board receives same salary as population ranking: If the Board were to receive the 9th highest salary paid in all counties, the Board would receive an annual salary of $44,496 . There are a wide variety of processes Boards of Supervisors use in setting their salary, from simply fixing a salary with little outside input, to "Blue Ribbon" committees of prominent citizens, to comparisons with similar size counties, to amending county charter provisions. . I JANUARY 1989 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS SALARY SURVEY RANK BY SALARY AMOUNT COUNTY POPULATION EFFECTIVE MONTH ANNUAL NOTES 1. Los Angeles 1 • 1/1/88 $7064 $84,765 Parity with Superior Court Judge 2. Orange 3 . 12/16/88 . $5490 $65,874 No formula-adjusted with other officials 3. Santa Clara 4 1/1/88 $5161 $61,927 Formula = 80% of Muni Court Judge 4. San Diego 2 1/1/88 $5161 $61,927 Formula = 80% of Muni Court Judge 5. 'San Bernardino 6 12/1/88 $4511 $54,129 Charter requires links to prevailing practice 6. Kern 14 1/1/89 $4362 $52,512 Formula - CPI from Los Angeles Area 7. Riverside 8 1/1/89 $4224 $50,859' Formula = 60% of . Superior Court Judge 8. San Mateo 11 1/8/89 $4215 $50,580 No formula-Adjusted with other officials . 9. Ventura 12 12/25/88 $3708 $44,496 No formula - adjusted with other officials 10. Monterey 18 7/1/88 $3682 $44,184 No formula - adjusted with other officials 11. Sonoma 16 1/1/88 $3548 $42,576 Formula = 50% of Muni Court Judge 12. Sacramento 7 1/1/89 $3396 $40,752 No formula - adjusted with other officials 13. Alameda 5 1/1/89 $3328 $39,936 No formula - adjusted with other officials 14. San Joaquin 15 1/2/89 $3221 $38,652 No formula —adjusted with other officials 15. *Contra Costa 9 2/14/88 $3177 $38,124 No formula - adjusted by Ordinance 87-101 16. Marin 22 7/26/88 $2896.40 $34,757 Formula = linked to Bay Area C.P.I. 17. Fresno 13 1/2/89 $2626 $31,512 Formula = linked to Bay Area C.P.I. 18. Solano 21 5/8/88 $2523 $30,281 No formula - adjusted with other officials 19. Napa 34 9/17/88 $2167 $26,004 No formula - adjusted with other officials 20. San Francisco 10 11/82 $1994 $23,924 Set by Charter *Contra Costa salary ranks No. 9 of 10 top counties by population. Santa .Clara, San Diego and San Mateo are tied at No. 3.