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SLO County supervisors give themselves raises

December 17, 2014

slo county signThe San Luis Obispo County supervisors granted themselves a 5 percent pay raise on Tuesday, increasing their annual salaries by about $4,000 annually.

The board of supervisors approved the raises on a 4-1 vote with Supervisor Debbie Arnold dissenting. Arnold said the money allocated for the raise would be best spent on county services, while other supervisors defended the pay increases as a timely move to offset slight pay cuts that occurred during the recent recession.

Outgoing Supervisor Caryn Ray voted in favor of the increase, even though the extra pay will go to Lynn Compton, who defeated her in the November election. Ray said supervisors must have livable wages to ensure that their positions are not exclusive for the wealthy or retirees.

A few members of the public spoke during the hearing. Each opposed the pay increases.

The raises will bump the supervisors’ base salaries from approximately $82,014 to $86,115. The increases will cost the county $31,815 annually in salary and related costs, according to a report prepared human resources staff.

Prior to the vote, human resources staffers stated a recent study indicated that the supervisors are compensated at 14.9 percent below market value.

The pay raises will take effect on Feb. 15, 2015.


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Kern County BOS $105000

Monterey County BOS $123000

San Diego County BOS $145000

San Luis Obispo County BOS $86000


I think SLO sups should get a bigger raise.


0

Government at its best!

If you have it – spend it. And as usual spend it on yourselves.


Thank you Debbie Arnold for doing what is right.


1

In reply to “LovinLosOsos” –


You neglected to mention that wonderful sewer system that your BOS got for Los Osos.


Wonder Why?


And I am completely dumbfounded by #’s 1 thru 9 of your reasons. At what cost to the

taxpayer? Big cost. My property taxes will increase by over $400 per year for the

foreseeable future to help pay for Cuesta College – because they failed to do a budget.


The only conclusion I can draw is that you must be one of the lucky souls who got

a $1000 gift from us taxpayers to help pay for your health benefits. Well. more power

to you – but the BOS has not served this county’s common citizens well enough.


0

I am glad that the county stepped up and fixed the communities screw ups in los osos. Personally I’d rather not drink septic tank leachate for the rest of my life. Clearly there are side effects.


0

No doubt there are side effects. One of which must be impacting your lack of

rational thinking. But please enjoy your $1K taxpayers gift bestowed upon thou

by the all mighty and totally righteous BOS


0

Well you’re getting a little personal but that’s what people do when they run out of meaningful information. Feel free to explain to me why a public employee doesn’t deserve to earn a living wage in the same community in which they serve. Have at it. I would live to hear it.


This is the government that the citizens of slo county chose. This is the political make up of our community. Maybe you could also explain how democracy is flawed and when you are in charge you will select quality honest people that will protect and serve for free. I do think you’re on to something.


There is another solution. Change your name to Fresno_citizen and everything will be better.


0

I do not befieve I ever stated that the BOS did not deserve to have a

living wage or work for free. Please re-read my posts (not others) on

this.


What I did say, and will repeat, is that the system that allows a publicly

elected official to vote a raise for themselves is seriously flawed.

An elected official does not deserve a raise just because a similar

position in another county or state is paid a certain amount. An elected

official should be appraised, just as is any private employee. Goals

are set, timelines are established, etc. With this appraisal, a person

is given a raise based on merit – not based on what someone else in

some other county gets.


Furthermore, no employee (public or private) deserves to earn a living

wage – they do deserve to be paid what they have earned. They do not

deserve to give themselves a raise, If they are not paid what they think

they are worth – then they should look for a job that will pay them what

they may think they are worth. Not have the power to just vote

themselves a raise. Earning it is so much different than just getting it.


Think about it. Given the opportunity, would you vote yourself a raise;

without having the absolute task of proving you deserved it?

Probably 99.999999% of people would say yes. But that does not make

it right.


So it is the system that is flawed, but this is the system we have. And

it is why the gap between those you have it and those that do not

continues to get bigger.


0

Lets break out the booze and print more money.

Eventually the feds will have to do more quantitative easing as well ie print more money.


0

Dear Supervisor’s,

Can any one of you provide me with a detailed explanation of WHY you voted yourselves a 5% raise?

Have any of you had a Performance Evaluation (don’t include an election) while you’ve been serving the county?

It seems to me, that ALL (except in this case) salary increases in the business world, are tied in some part to performance. And most certainly, 99% of all employees DO NOT give themselves raises.

YOU ARE EMPLOYEES (SUPPOSEDLY) WORKING FOR US.

I would like to see the law changed so that a referendum would be required in order approve/disapprove salary increases for any government employee now able to vote himself/herself a raise….or a surplus funded (bogus) bonus.


0

I am ready to sign a petition to put this on the ballot. Somehow a salary increase should

be based on honest performance appraisal. This will require more than just voting

the BOS out of office. Since they have “bought off” the vote of all those public

employees with a $1000 gift, and will likely do it again – something else must be done

to change the system where the hogs get to determine how much slop they get.


0

Do not forget that we live in the Incorporated County of San Luis Obispo. The Board for this Corp is elected by the public and affords the public participation in the decision process. The best way to get your monies worth is to go to the Board meetings and be heard. You will learn that their paycheck is less that a busy carpenter.


0

The useless government parasites of SLO County are worth what??????


How about a raise for the oppressed victims of their arrogant tyranny?


0

Yeah!! Get the pitch forks!! Government employees should work for free!!! The thanks and appreciation they get far exceeds any monetary compensation.


Merry Christmas to all Central Coast Government Employees. Thank you for making the Central Coast the best place to live in North America.


0

Govenment employees can’t acknowledge Merry Christmas as Christmas implies Christianity, and excludes Muslims.


You should say Happy Holidays, or better yet just skip it, get out your checkbook and fork over your income.


1

Exactly HOW does a government employee make “the Central Coast the best place to live in North America?” Please explain in detail.


0

I realize that you personally see no benefit, but I’ll let you in on why I believe our community is well governed and how they make a difference.


1. Your Government Secures Adequate Open Spaces

2. Your Government Provides Infrastructure to Support Business and Agriculture

3. Your Government Maintains Parks

4. Your Government has Embrace Responsible Growth

5. Your Government was the First to Ban Smoking

6. Your Government was an Early Adopter of Plastic Bag Ban

7. Your Government has Crime Rates well below the National Average

8. Your Government has Established High Quality Post Secondary Education Facilities

9. Your Government has Protected Biological, Environmental, and Cultural Resources


And they have pretty much done this as good or better than anyone else in the Country.


But other than that we are just like Flint, Michigan.


My guess would be that many of the people that complain about our local government have never lived anywhere else. So it’s very hard for frigatebirds, cormorants, tropicbirds, gannets, boobies, shoebills, hamerkops, or pelicans to appreciate how good it is here on the Central Coast.


How did you get to work today? I drove on a road.

Where did you go to school? I went to public school.

Have you ever been robbed? I haven’t

Did you take a shower today? I did. Even with the drought my water still works

Have you ever seen a California Condor? It’s pretty spectacular.

Have you ever walked the Coast at Montana de Oro? I recommend it.


-1

I actually believe that the people of this county make it what it is…not the government.


1

Absolutely – and it is well past time for people to make this crystal clear.


0

There sure are a lot of angry little elves!!


I feel sorry for people that spend everyday angry about made up news.

Sad.


0

Rather, you should feel very sorry about your made up hero’s.


1

If you think government is the solution, you are the problem! It is the PEOPLE of this country that made it great, not the government!


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