Big Pay Raises Mulled For RivCo Sheriff, DA, Other Elected Officials

UPDATE: Hefty Pay Raises For RivCo Elected Officials Rejected By Supervisors

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday will consider whether to grant double-digit percentage salary increases for five Riverside County elected officials, potentially making Sheriff Chad Bianco and District Attorney Mike Hestrin better paid than their counterparts in four neighboring counties.

Newly elected Auditor-Controller Ben Benoit — who comes into the post with no accounting experience and no college degree — would also see his annual base salary, if approved, jump to more than $250,000, or 32%. The same would be true for Assessor-Clerk-Recorder Peter Aldana, and Treasurer-Tax Collector Matt Jennings.

According to the Department of Human Resources, the proposed pay hikes are intended to bring the officials' salaries up to levels that ensure they're not making less than some of their executive-level underlings, who are receiving hefty salaries thanks to collective bargaining agreements and other factors.

The pay raises would take effect Jan. 12 if approved.

Benoit's annual base salary, if approved, would be $256,814. Outgoing Auditor-Controller Paul Angulo, who is a certified public accountant with a master's degree, earns an annual base salary of $195,191.98, according to county records. The increase, if approved, represents a 32% pay raise for Benoit.

Assessor-Clerk-Recorder Peter Aldana and Treasurer-Tax Collector Matt Jennings each have an annual base salary of $195,191.98, according to county records. They too are slated for a 32% increase that would bump each up to $256,814 next year, if approved.

Bianco and Hestrin each earn an annual base salary of $273,463, according to the county. Under the proposal, each would receive a 13% pay raise — bumping their respective salaries up to $308,197 next year.

The last round of raises for all five positions was in 2014. However, Hestrin, individually, received a raise in 2018.

The 2014 hikes were approved on a 3-2 vote of the board, with then-Supervisor Jeff Stone joining with Supervisor Kevin Jeffries in opposing the increases, arguing that the effects of the Great Recession were an ongoing drag on the county's finances, and there was no justification for boosting officials' base pay.

Jeffries, who is now the most senior member of the board and slated to rotate into the chairman's seat next year, has declined all proposed salary increases for himself in the last decade.

Jeffries indicated he will vote against the proposed increases that will be considered Tuesday. He took to social media Friday writing, "I want to make it clear in advance that I will be opposing the proposed pay increases for five 'Countywide' elected officials next Tuesday. The individuals holding those positions are dedicated and I respect what they do - my opposition is not about them (and I’m not sure some even asked for the raise that H.R. has put on the BOS agenda). Choosing to hold public office as an elected official is a choice and is significantly different from seeking a life long professional career. And yes - I know not everyone will agree with me on this. Just wanted to be clear."

The funds for all of the hikes would be drawn directly from each agency's budget allocations for the current fiscal year.

The Department of Human Resources said "external market surveys" were conducted to gauge the appropriate compensation levels for the five elected officials going forward. Analogous surveys were undertaken in 2014, comparing the earnings of similarly placed officials elsewhere to justify pay increases for the Riverside County positions.

Salary schedules analyzed by City News Service showed that, if the increases are approved, both the sheriff and D.A. would receive annual base compensation that rivals the earnings of counterparts in surrounding counties.

Hestrin's proposed $308,197 yearly salary would compare to $185,981 for Imperial County's top prosecutor, $293,128 for Orange County's, $249,221 for San Bernardino County's and $287,227 for San Diego County's.

Meantime, Bianco's proposed $308,197 annual income would compare to $170,672 for Imperial County's sheriff, $254,715 for Orange County's, $270,291 for San Bernardino County's, and $279,198 for San Diego's top lawman.

Data on 2021 compensation formulas for government officials statewide is available at www.publicpay.ca.gov.

—City News Service and Patch Editor Toni McAllister contributed to this report.