Wednesday, November 22, 2006

County did not seek taxpayers' comments about pay-raise plans

This week the Placer County Board of Supervisors gave several local elected officials and managerial staff huge pay increases, largely without public scrutiny or comment.

The pay-raise recommendations were first brought before the board on Election Day, toward the end of a long agenda. With all eyes focusing on the election, the supervisors covertly considered lining the pockets of those already at the top of the pay scale.

This was underhanded and a slap in the face to rank-and-file deputies, area teachers and those who do the dirty work, yet have to fight for every penny of compensation.

With the exception of Bruce Kranz, who rightfully pointed out that he did not have enough information to vote yes for up to whopping 32 percent pay raises over the next few years, supervisors rubber-stamped the executive office's outrageous proposals. The illogical reasoning behind the raises that will see Sheriff Ed Bonner's pay skyrocket from $136,000 to $173,000 per year in 2009: Huge increases are needed to attract quality personnel.

Sheriff Bonner and other elected officials knew what the pay was when they ran for office. If the salary wasn't enough to pay their bills - gross as that sounds to the ordinary Placer County taxpayer who earns roughly $37,000 per year and without the many added benefits - they didn't have to seek the jobs.

Bonner is not alone in accepting the fat increases. And, no one can blame him personally for taking a huge pay raise, while rank-and-file deputies are underpaid.

District Attorney Brad Fenocchio, Registrar-Clerk Jim McCauley, Treasurer Jenine Windeshausen, Auditor-Controller Kathy Martinis and Assessor Bruce Dear are all now going to be receiving pay raises worth tens of thousands in the short term, and hundreds of thousands if not millions in the long run.

And all at taxpayer expense, without taxpayer input and without any signs of improved performance. Local taxpayer advocate Dan Sokol called the raises and the supervisors' justification "phony." It was more than phony, it was a rip-off of taxpayer dollars.

Using the logic that higher salaries are necessary to attract quality elected officials, it would seem the supervisors themselves must be sorely unqualified.

Supervisors, because of a vote of the citizenry in the early 1990s, are limited to roughly $30,000 a year in compensation.

Placer County taxpayers want elected officials who believe in public service, not lining their own pockets.

And Placer County employs three full-time personnel in the public information department. Would it be too much to ask that these public information officers at least feign an attempt to inform the public about gigantic pay-raise proposals for elected officials coming before the board?

Supervisors, with the exception of Kranz, let down those who elected them to office.

There is not one supervisor who can honestly say their constituents would support those kinds of increases for elected officials if the raises were put to a vote.

Supervisors and high-level county staff, under executive Tom Miller, did not pull the wool over the eyes of the public, as was apparently their intent.

Their actions were underhanded and should not be forgotten.