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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 01171989 - 2.4 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS S ` _ Contra FROM: Phil Batchelor Costa County Administrator _ °z Count yDATE: �Osr' `Tv January 12, 1989 q ��U_� SUBJECT: Consideration of Pay Adjustment for Members of the Board of Supervisors SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION: Consider what action to take based on the following information provided by the County Administrator. BACKGROUND: Introduction: In his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors during 1988 , Supervisor Schroder asked the County Administrator to review the adequacy of the current salary for members of the Board of Supervisors and file a report with the Board outlining a variety of factors for further consideration by the Board. An extensive analysis has been done by the Personnel Department and County Administrator ' s Office to compare the current salary of members of the Board of Supervisors with boards of supervisors in other urban counties. A copy of the results of that survey is attached. A comparison was also made with the salary of department heads who are ultimately supervised by the Board of Supervisors and with classifications paid comparable salaries in Contra Costa County. We have also included reference to proposed increases in salaries by other counties and the federal government. Comparison with Other Urban Counties: Members of the Board of Supervisors are currently paid an annual salary of $38, 124 ( $3177 monthly) . CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: YES SIGNATURE: e RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATUREM: : ACTION OF BOARD ON January 17, 1989 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER Following discussion, the Board ACCEPTED the above referenced report from the County Administrator and REFERRED the matter to the Chair and County Administrator for further review and report to the Board on February 28 , 1989 . VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS(ABSENT �— ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. CC: County Administrator ATTESTED — / 7• / Audi tor-Control 1 er PHIL ATCHELOR, ERK OF THE BOARD OF Count/ Counsel SUPERVISORS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR Board Members BY ,J DEPUTY M382 (10/88) Page 2 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 Board of Supervisors a higher salary than does Contra Costa County, as follows: COUNTY RANK BY POPULATION SALARY San Mateo 11 $61,927* Ventura 12 $44,436 Kern 14 $52 ,338 San Joaquin 15 $38 , 652 Sonoma 16 $42, 576 Monterey 18 $44,184 *San Mateo County recently increased the salary .for members of the Board of Supervisor by 250, effective February 1 , 1989 to this level. Comparison with Other Benchmark Positions: As is indicated in the attachment to this report, six counties of the 20 with the highest salaries for members of the board of supervisors have chosen to tie the salary of members of the board of supervisors to that of superior or municipal court judge in some manner (Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, San Mateo, Riverside, Sonoma) . For comparison purposes, Contra Costa County' s Board Members ' salaries equal 450 of a Superior Court Judge ' s salary and 49% of a Municipal Court Judge' s salary. Another basis of comparison is to look at the salary paid to department heads in this County, since the salary of department heads reflects the cost of living in this County. Members of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors currently receive a salary which represents 52% of the average salary paid to county department heads in this County; department heads who are ultimately responsible to the Board of Supervisors for the management of county government. Comparison with Similarly Paid County Classifications: Members of the Board of Supervisors are paid equal to or .less than the following county classifications: COUNTY CLASSIFICATION SALARY (MONTHLY) Steamfitter $3720 Court Reporter $3636 Sheriff ' s Sergeant $3546 Auditor III $3490 Building Inspector II $3353 Electrician $3270 Page 3 Senior Firefighter $3254 Public Works Maintenance $3241 Specialist Member, Board of Supervisors $3177 There appears to be sharp contrast in the level of responsibility of a member of the Board of Supervisors compared to these . classifications. Pending Adjustments for:Other Elected Officials.: A number of other elected bodies either have recently increased their salary or have substantial salary increases under consideration at this time. Among these are the following: o The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has recently increased their salary by 250. o The Alameda County Board of Supervisors recently proposed a salary increase of 60+0. Final action on this proposal is apparently being held up at this time. o Congress is also currently debating an increase of 500 in the salary for United States Senators and Members of the House of Representatives as well as senior officials in the Administration. Increase in Level of Activity of Board Members: When Contra Costa County was a smaller and more rural. co.unty, 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. 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 Mateo 11 2/1/89 $5161 $61,927 Formula = 80% of Muni Court Judge 6. San Bernardino 6 12/1/88 $4511 $54,129 Charter requires links to prevailing practice 7. Kern 14 1/1/89 $4362 $52,338 Formula - CPI from Los Angeles area 8. Riverside 8 1/1/89 $4224 $50,685 Formula = 60% of Superior Court Judge 9. Ventura 12 12/25/88 $3703 $44,436 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 10 2/14/88 $3177 $38,124 No formula - adjusted - by Ordinance No. 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 $31,513 Formula = linked with other officials to CPI 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 9 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.