Cambria general manager to get a 38 percent pay increase

April 25, 2016
Cambria General Manager Jerry Gruber

Cambria General Manager Jerry Gruber

By KAREN VELIE

Less then two months after the implementation of a 116 percent water and sewer rate increase, the Cambria Community Services District is planning to approve a set of staggered pay hikes of 38 percent for its general manager.

In June 2011, the board voted to make Jerry Gruber its general manager at a salary of $150,000 a year plus benefits. If the board approves Gruber’s new contract at Thursday’s board meeting, it will raise his annual salary by July 2020 to $221,984, or with benefits to about $310,778 a year.

Over a nine-year period, Gruber’s income will have increase by 48 percent. Gruber manages a district that provides water, sewer, fire protection, lighting, trash, and parks, recreation to about 6,000 residents.

If the new contract is approved, Gruber will receive two retroactive pay increases of 4 percent, one going back to Jul 1, 2015 and the other to Jan. 1, 2016. On July 1, 2015, Gruber will get another 5 percent raise followed by 5 percent raises every July 1 through 2020.

And while retroactive pay increases back to the point negotiations began appear to be legal, going back further may violate Article 11 of the California Constitution. Closed session discussions regarding Gruber’s salary began in January 2016.

“A local government body may not grant extra compensation or extra allowance to a public officer, public employee, or contractor after service has been rendered or a contract has been entered into and performed in whole or in part, or pay a claim under an agreement made without authority of law,” according to Article 11 Section 10.

Because of financial shortfalls, the district raised its water and sewage rates in March by 116 percent. Under the new formula, the bimonthly bill for residents who use about 50 gallons of water a day, increased from $23.82 to $51.50.

The board will meet at 12:30 p.m. on April 28 to vote on Gruber’s proposed pay raises.


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Perfect! What better way to stick it to the old, white, liberal hippie community that squandered away so much money they can afford to live there! Good for this guy! Squeeze those idiots for all they’re worth! Muahahahaha! They will be too lazy and guilty to do squat about it, so rest assured, you are in the clear!


That made me laugh!


Where does this figure come from? Is it random? What kind of study is done to determine that being a general manager to 6000 people necessitates a 38% increase.


I left a job because we only got a 44 cent an hour raise after 7 YEARS. This dude gets a 48% raise in 9 years. What makes his job so much harder than other college educated professionals in this community that get told we are getting paid in sunshine and weather instead of US Dollars?


I guess I could understand it if this guy had the job equivalent to Frodo in Lord of the Rings, but what is he DOING?


I think Ross Perot was wrong; that giant sucking sound is coming from public servants.


$51 per resident. Seems legit.


The Cambria CCSD has a long history of fleecing the rate payer and squandering huge sums of money on consultants. Oddly, the voters keep on electing directors who are paraded around the block and extolled as bright and forward thinking while the rank and file keep paying through their collective noses. I wonder where the idea came from to give the already overpaid CCSD manager another over-the-top raise? Hmmm? Not from the working class of Cambria. Is it time for a political revolution to dump the directors and take the town back from the 1%?


I’m going to load up my truck with pitchforks, torches, tar and feathers, go up to Cambria and set up on a corner somewhere, ought to be able to triple my money easy!


300 Gs a year? Come on. Surely the people of Cambria could do better than that.


This guy should be taking half that salary and be THANKFUL for the opportunity to live in Paradise every day!


People of Cambria

Wake Up!

This hurts you and everyone else. It helps spin the higher salary merry go round.

Be grown ups and say NO!


Who knew Cambria would enable Mr. Ogren in Oceano to claim he is now underpaid?


It this stands I’m sure that is what is coming next, all the other Service Departments heads are going to claim they need to get a raise….. to keep comparable, or keep the brightest candidates or any one of the other lame statements we always hear as to why more and more money needs to be wasted on these outrageous salaries, benefits and pensions. I always have to laugh (or cry) when I hear a candidate or politician claim they helped balance some budgets or such and they never address the billions and billions of underfunded pension liability, as though it doesn’t count.


When you have elected officials like Kristen Barneich and Barbara Harmon, who have absolutely NO experience in BUSINESS; this is what you get.


They are all so afraid someone will leave their high paid job if they do not pay them higher?


Have some BALLS!


Mrs. Harmon and Ms. Barneich share another commonality.

Harmon is retired public employee (PERS pension), Barneich’s firefighter spouse will retire with PERS benefits.