On Tuesday, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will vote to adjust their annual salary in the form of a $31,7333 raise. This would be the first increase the Board of Supervisors would receive in 8 years.
Based off the agenda item, Supervisors would jump from $97,483 ($8,123.28 per/mo) to $129,216 ($10,768.92 per/mo) annually. The monthly increase is $2,662.72
This would be the first increase since 2006 and the last increase occurred in July of 2007 when they received a 2% cost of living adjustment (COLA). Between July 1, 2009 through July 31, 2013, the Supervisors took a wage reduction to go along with a majority of County Employees.
According to the agenda item, the Contra Costa County Supervisors are currently the lowest in the State for Urban Counties, and second lowest for counties in the Bay Area (see chart above). The counties of Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma were used in the salary study.
Including benefits, the this action if approved would have a total annual additional cost of $235,000, $66,876 of which is pension cost.
Below is the information provided in the staff reports including the Ordinance.
Recommendations
INTRODUCE Ordinance No. 2014-10 amending the County Ordinance Code to adjust salary of members of the Board of Supervisors and provide that such salary shall equate to seventy percent of the salary of California Superior Court judges.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Upon adoption this action would have a total annual additional cost of $235,000, $66,876 of which is pension cost.
BACKGROUND:
On July 29, 2014, the Board adopted Resolution No. 2014/260, which provided wage increases for elected department heads to align with wages afforded to similar elected department heads for other Bay Area counties.
Since then, a salary study for Supervisors was conducted to compare Contra Costa County’s salaries with other counties. The counties of Alameda, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma were used in the salary study. Among these eight (8) counties, Contra Costa County is the third most populated county. Also, 6 of these 8 counties set their salaries as a percentage of that of the Superior Court judges. In fact, many counties in California also set the Supervisors’ salaries as a percentage of that of the Superior Court judges. Of the 12 California counties designated as “Urban Counties” based on population, 8 of those counties also set the
Supervisors’ salaries as a percentage of that of the Superior Court judges. Effective July 1, 2014 Superior Court judges, including those in Contra Costa County, had their salaries increased to $184,610 thus resulting in an increase for Supervisors in many of those same California counties.
In Contra Costa County, Supervisors’ salaries are set by ordinance. The last time Supervisors adjusted their salaries was in 2006, and the last increase was July 1, 2007, when they received a 2% cost of living adjustment (COLA). The Supervisors also took wage reductions from July 1, 2009, through July 31, 2013, along with a majority of our County employees. As a result of this, Contra Costa County Supervisors’ salaries are now the lowest in the State for Urban Counties, and the second lowest for counties in the Bay Area.
On October 21, 2014, the County Administrator reported that because the Board has recently made adjustments for the Contra Costa County elected department heads, it might be an appropriate time to consider also adjusting the Supervisors’ salaries which have not been increased for a number of years. In the Bay Area, Contra Costa County Supervisors’ salaries are near the bottom, with only Solano and Napa slightly higher or lower and those two counties have less than half the population of Contra Costa County. Additionally, many of the Bay Area counties tie the Supervisors’ salaries to a percentage of the Superior Court judge’s salary, with the percentage ranging between 47% and 80%. Board members considered the information provided, heard public testimony, and requested that an ordinance be prepared using 70% of Superior Court judges’ salaries. Additionally, the Board requested information be provided regarding other department heads’ salaries. The table below, sorted by annual salary, lists each department head classification and identifies elected department heads with an asterisk.
As directed by the Board of Supervisors on October 21, 2014, attached is Ordinance 2014-10 that would increase Supervisors’ salaries to an annual amount equivalent to seventy percent of Superior Court judges’ salaries and provide that prospectively Supervisors’ salaries shall be increased at such times and in such percentages necessary to maintain a base salary equivalent to seventy percent of judges’ salaries. This ordinance would amend Code section 24-26.006, Supervisors. Both a clean and redline version of the Ordinance are attached for reference.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
New ordinance will not be introduced.
ORDINANCE NO. 2014- 10
(Salary for Elected County Officers)
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors ordains as follows (omitting the parenthetical footnotes from the official text of the enacted or amended provisions of the County Ordinance Code):
SECTION I. SUMMARY. This ordinance amends Section 24-26.006 of the County Ordinance Code to modify salary provisions for members of the Board of Supervisors.
SECTION II. Section 24-26.006 of the County Ordinance Code is amended to read: 24-26.006 Supervisors. (a) Each supervisor, for service as such, shall receive a base monthly salary at the following monthly rates as specified in the Contra Costa County pay series schedule:
(1) Effective January 5, 2015, a monthly salary of $ 10,768.92, which is determined to be equivalent to seventy percent (70%) of the monthly salary prescribed by State law for California Superior Court judges. Thereafter, the base salary of each supervisor shall be increased at such times and in such percentages as increases granted by law to California Superior Court judges, to maintain a base salary equivalent to seventy percent (70%) of the judges’ salary.
(b) Additionally, each supervisor shall receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the conduct of such office; such other benefits as are provided other classified or exempt management employees; eligibility for an eighty-five dollar monthly county contribution to the county’s deferred compensation plan in the same manner as other management employees; and an automobile allowance of six hundred dollars per month, plus all mileage, at the rate per mile allowed by the Internal Revenue Services as a deductible expense. Receipt of the automobile allowance requires that a private automobile be furnished for county business.
11 comments
Sorry, NO. I want this county in tip top shape, all children, seniors and disabled fed and clothed as well as getting medical attention before the Supervisors get one dime. The mess they have made squandering our money on Doctor’s Hospital etc. is even more reason for a NO.
Amen, brother! Don’t forget ECCFPD along with Doctor’s…although that hosing took place several years ago.
he East Contra Costa Fire District is going to have to close stations because of budget restraints… This makes perfect sense.
I know right? This make no sense at all…… So they are the at the bottom of the scale, someones has to be! Just like the City of Oakley giving the incompetent City Manager a pay raise not based on merit or job performance but because of the average or what others are making (similar logic as above)…..
One of the most outrageous things I have read in a long time. Who in the world gets a $2,600+ a month raise? I know many people who do make $2,600 in a month. I can’t wait for the excuses to be heard tomorrow of how they earned it.
Other unions in the county are not allowed to use comparative salaries to determine their pay but it’s ok for the supervisors to do it. Freakin hypocrites!! Supervisors had the nerve to tell deputies when they advised the supervisors they were the worst paid union (take home pay) the supervisors said someone has to be last. I think the same should be said for them. If they’re not happy with the pay step down and give someone else the chance to make 100k.
We deserve a raise and need one too. We work hard to ignore the messed up roads. We work hard to under fund health and safety. We should get as much as the other big counties that take care of their public roads, hospitals, and fire departments. Suck it up people its a done deal because we can.
Thank you for your vote. Now go away.
It’s so nice that the board has the power to give themselves this raise. I also have not received a raise in eight years. And just like the sups am the lowest paid in the entire Bay Area. This raise represents nearly half my annual salary. The hits just keep on coming. I’m personnely offended by this. Firefighter East Contra Costa Fire.
Pe’od,
The sups are bleeding this county dry. And let me guess they get to pocket this raise and not have it taken right back to pay for increased medical and increased retirement contributions like the Deputy Sheriff’s had to.
Kud
Kudos to Ms. Anderson for her no vote. She has got a pulse on her constituents.
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