Will Supervisors Adopt Double-Digit Raises?

Double-Digit Pay Raises Have Yet to be Finalized, But Supervisors Don’t Seem Ready to Back Down

RIVERSIDE —County Supervisors have received a tongue-lashing from both the public and at least one editorial board since voting 4-1 on May 21 to give themselves, the district attorney, the sheriff and others hefty pay raises based on a new formula.  Whether the public shaming is enough to stop supervisors remains to be seen.

Supervisor Kevin Jeffries was the sole dissenter.

Supervisors are set to hold second reading of the ordinance and possibly adopt it on June 4, Brooke Federico, County Public Information Officer. told Uken Report.

Under the plan set for adoption Tuesday, supervisors would see their pay increase between 19% and 58%, depending on their current salaries. Other elected officials will get larger paychecks as well, ranging from 27% to 29% higher than their current salaries.

Under the existing formula, the current base pay for county supervisors is set at $190,783.

Under the formula tentatively approved, base pay for supervisors increases to $226,359 — a 19% increase for Gutierrez, Perez and Spiegel, 36% for Washington and 58% for Jeffries, based on their current salaries.

“As done with our county employees, Human Resources reviewed compensation for Supervisors and all County elected positions,” Supervisor V. Manuel Perez told Uken Report in a prepared statement. “Human Resources takes the needed time to analyze and make comparisons with neighboring counties when adjusting salaries. Ultimately, it’s County Supervisors who are mandated to make those decisions and set salaries for all employees based on Human Resources evaluation, including electeds. As we make tough decisions and at times unpopular, this was a reasonable approach to adjusting salaries that have not been dealt with for 10 years.”

If approved, Assessor/County Clerk/Recorder Peter Aldana, Auditor-Controller Ben Benoit and Treasurer-Tax Collector Matthew Jennings would receive pay raise of 27% to $247,859.

District Attorney Mike Hestrin’s salary would balloon 28.5% to $351,481 under the proposed increase, and Sheriff Chad Bianco would receive a 27% raise to $347,772.

“My pay, and the DA’s pay has historically been tied to a board decision (Form 11),” Bianco told Uken Report. “Everyone else under our command has pay negotiated through the normal HR process.  Over the years, everyone’s pay/step increases continued to avoid impaction within management.  This eventually exceeded the limit imposed in 2011.  The problem for a position like mine is it just can’t be anyone who runs for this position.  I am not just another “elected official” like Supervisor Jeffries would like everyone to believe.”

Also, Bianco said, the pay is not comparative to other chief/sheriffs in the region. “For instance, the chief of police of Riverside makes substantially more than I do, and I am 10 times as large with a far more complex operation. In succession planning, we are finding that the most qualified people to seek my position don’t want it.  They would rather hold a lower administrative rank for more pay without the added work and stress of politics.   It’s obvious to see how that could cause unqualified and ill-intended persons to seek the office.  They could succeed because the best choices for voters aren’t interested.”

The total cost for the pay raises per year is $812,501, according to a memo to supervisors from the county’s human resources department. The raises are expected to go into effect in August for supervisors and in July for other elected officials.

In an editorial in The Press-Enterprise titled, “Riverside County pols get a raise,” the board wrote that it’s “bad optics” for a county that has to negotiate with unions.

“The decision to approve pay raises reflects a profound disconnect between our elected officials and the realities faced by the communities they are supposed to represent,” a trio of writers wrote in The Press-Enterprise.

The current method to set board member pay is set at 80% of California Superior Court Judges per Ordinance 780, Federico said.  The other five elected County officials (DA, Sheriff, Assessor/County Clerk/Recorder, Auditor-Controller, and Treasurer-Tax Collector) have been only adjusted through revisions of the Ordinance 781.

The last revision to Ordinance 781 that adjusted all five elected, non-board members, occurred in 2014, Federico said. The District Attorney alone was adjusted in 2018 to establish parity with the Sheriff.

“However, the salaries of the executive leadership of these departments continued to progress as salaries increased via market corrections or contractual increases for all staff, including line staff and management,” Federico said. “This caused subordinate, executive salaries to eclipse elected salaries over the last 10 years.”

Supervisors had an option to receive a raise in January, at the same time the judges received a raise, but declined.

The anticipated pay raise comes at a time when no supervisor faces re-election.

Supervisor Chuck Washington won reelection in the March Primary. There were two opponents. Washington received more than 50% plus one vote of all ballots cast in the Third District.

Supervisor Jeffries is not running for reelection. The top two candidates for First District Supervisor from the March Primary are now running in the General Election in November. Those candidates are State Senator Richard Roth and former State Assemblyman Jose Medina.