After Backlash, Supervisors Propose Bringing Pay Raise in Line with County Employees

After facing vehement opposition and a petition attempt to rescind a 33 percent pay raise, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday on a proposal that would bring their next pay raise in line with other county workers.

The board voted 4-1, with Supervisor Mary Piepho voting against, for a proposal to give themselves a 7 percent pay increase, which equals roughly 1 percent for every year since their its raise in 2007.

The increase is in line with that received by employees represented by county labor unions. They also approved a proposal to change the benchmark by which their salary is tethered to state judicial salaries. Currently, supervisors make 70 percent of state judges’ salaries. Under the new proposal, it would be closer to 56 or 57 percent.

Finally, the board approved a proposal to establish a citizens’ commission, comprised of representatives from the grand jury and business, labor, non-profit, and taxpayers associations, that would make a recommendation for how the board would set its salary going forward.

Supervisors had voted last year to raise their pay from $97,483 to $129,227. The 7 percent raise would increase their salaries to $104,424. Tuesday’s vote is merely the first step in a lengthy process to approve the raise. The board’s legal counsel must first draft the ordinances, after which they will come to the board for a first reading, scheduled for March 3.

Only after the second reading will the board vote to officially approve the ordinances. Three people who spoke during the public comment period were largely supportive of the proposals to tie the supervisors’ raise to that of county workers and to establish a commission to recommend a course of action for future salary adjustments.

District Attorney Mark Peterson said he agreed with the board’s first proposal to tie their salaries to a percentage of state judges’ salaries, but he also supported a commission looking into future raises.

Eileen Bissen, business agent for the Public Employees Union Local 1, and Margaret Hanlon-Gradie of the California Labor Federation both said they were supportive of tying the supervisors’ pay raise to county employees, but said the supervisors should be doing more to increase salaries for all employees.

Related:

• Deputy Sheriffs Union Sues County, 4 Contra Costa Co. Supes Alleging Retaliation Threats
• Contra Costa County Supes Repeal Salary Increase, Keep Issue Off Ballot
• Contra Costa Public Workers Deliver 39K Signatures To Repeal Supervisors’ Raise
• Should Contra Costa County Supervisors Get $32K Raise?
• County Supes Give Themselves $32K Raise Despite Opposition From Worker Groups.
• Unions Announce Plans To Overturn Contra Costa County Supes’ Raise.
• Contra Costa Public Employees Unions Work To Overturn Supes’ $32K Raises

“After this discussion has concluded, I hope the attention and focus returns to where it should be, frankly, not on the five members of this board but on the thousands of workers in this county who are severely underpaid compared to other counties,” Bissen said.

The board was largely unanimous in their support for the proposals, saying they had heard loud and clear from the public that they should not be setting their own salaries.

Piepho was the lone dissenter. She said the board had not yet made a convincing case as to why it should approve the 7 percent increase.

“I don’t believe it’s in the best interest or the right time for the board to adjust its salary prior to the adoption of a final budget and completing wage negotiations for all labor groups,” Piepho said. “While I personally feel we may deserve a pay adjustment, the public has voiced their concerns and at this time it still appears we are putting ourselves first and not listening.”

Piepho suggested letting the commission meet first before considering any recommendations it might have.

Board of Supervisors Chairman John Gioia said he didn’t want to tie the salaries solely to that of county workers in the future because the board negotiates with county labor unions. Any increase the board gives the labor union would essentially be out of self-interest, he said. Ultimately, the board will vote to accept or reject any or all of the three proposals. The next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for March 3.

By Bay City News

--Image from Contra Costa County public employees unions’ protest in November.

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