SLO County supervisors give themselves raises
December 17, 2014
The 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.
The comments below represent the opinion of the writer and do not represent the views or policies of CalCoastNews.com. Please address the Policies, events and arguments, not the person. Constructive debate is good; mockery, taunting, and name calling is not. Comment Guidelines