City Manager Voluntarily Takes 20% Pay Cut

PALM SPRINGS – For the second time in two decades of public service to this community, City Manager David H. Ready has voluntarily offered to take a pay cut.

In light of the fiscal emergency the coronavirus pandemic created, Ready offered to take a 20% pay cut. During the recession of 2008, he took a 10% reduction in pay from 2009-2013. Most employees participated at the time, he said. In addition to the pay cuts, Ready said there have been several years in which he did not take the contractual increases.

“The extreme loss of revenue for the city was going to require reductions in expenditures to make it through the pandemic crisis,” Ready, the longest-serving city manager in the Coachella Valley, told Uken Report. “Knowing that some employees would be laid off, in my mind, the first and deepest reduction should be with the City Manager.

The City Council accepted Ready’s offer and “thanked him for his leadership” in doing so, Mayor Geoff Kors told Uken Report.

“I think he set an important example by voluntarily taking a 20% pay cut at this challenging time,” Kors said.  I” also appreciate other staff who agreed to pay cuts and our union-represented workers for agreeing to delay their contractual agreement to a cost-of-living increase.  We are all in this together and working to continue to provide programs and services for our residents with less resources.”

Ready’s current salary is $360,579, which includes 20 years of cost-of-living increases and/or contract pay increases.  After the 20% reduction of $72,115, his annual salary will be $288,464.

Department Heads and other “exempt employees” have volunteered to take a 10% reduction in pay, Ready said.

“The city has been fortunate to build up reserves over the past several years – thanks in large part to our renewed tourism economy – yet, we will be using approximately $30 million in reserves to make it through the next fiscal year beginning July 1st,” Ready said. “In addition, we will be reducing expenditures by approximately $35 million.  All of us at City Hall must contribute to the effort to keep our city strong – and financial stability is an important part to make sure we provide our residents and visitors the best services possible.”