SLO city attorney slated for third straight raise
May 14, 2014
Correction: The proposed raise would be Dietrick’s third raise in three years, not her third raise in four years.
San Luis Obispo City Attorney Christine Dietrick is due for another pay raise.
A year after receiving a 4.5 percent salary increase, Dietrick is slated to receive a 4.2 percent bump in pay. If Dietrick receives the salary increase, it will be her third in three years. She previously received a 3.5 percent pay raise in April 2012.
At its upcoming May 20 meeting, the San Luis Obispo City Council will likely increase Dietrick’s salary by slightly more than $7,000. Following a council review of Dietrick’s performance, Mayor Jan Marx and Human Resources Director Monica Irons are recommending that the council raise her base salary from $168,000 to $175,006.
The proposed raise comes just one month after the city spent more than $2 million paying down its legal insurance liability. In February 2013, the city learned that it had accrued $3.1 million in legal liability owed to the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority.
The CPJIA also raised the city’s annual rate by $74,000 after the city lost a costly lawsuit over its practice of ticketing the homeless.
Dietrick already makes significantly more than California Attorney General Kamala Harris, who earned a $143,571 salary in 2013.
The council also reviewed the performance of City Manager Katie Lichtig, but no changes to her contract are proposed.
Also at next week’s meeting, the council will consider awarding itself pay raise. A committee on council member compensation is recommending changes to salaries and benefit structure that would allow council members to earn $4,800 more annually. The mayor’s pay could increase by $6,000 annually under the proposal.
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