Supervisors increase salaries of elected officials and
department heads
San Benito County Board of Supervisors members approved a raise
for elected officials and some department heads at their March 11
meeting.
Supervisors increase salaries of elected officials and department heads
San Benito County Board of Supervisors members approved a raise for elected officials and some department heads at their March 11 meeting.
The combined total for all raises is more than $49,000 a year, according to documents from Rich Inman, assistant chief administrative officer.
The raise is retroactive to Feb. 26.
County employees received varying amounts, from $1,000 up to $17,000 each added on to their annual salaries, according to documents.
During recent recruitment, the salaries of several positions were increased, Inman said.
“One thing that was brought up was the question is the hierarchy fair,” Inman said.
Inman compared the relationship between the salaries of elected officials and department heads to the chief administrative officer’s salary in various rural and urban counties in California, he said.
“In most cases, in our hierarchy, our pecking order, is pretty close to what is out there in the market,” Inman said.
In 12 rural counties in California, the county counsel’s salary is 92 percent of the chief administrative officer’s salary, according to documents from Inman.
In San Benito, the County counsel’s salary is 95 percent of the county administrative officer’s salary.
The salary of San Benito’s district attorney, Candice Hooper, was lower than in other counties, Inman said.
“I recommended that we adjust that,” Inman said.
The district attorney’s salary was 86 percent of the chief administrative officer’s salary, two percent less than other counties, according to the documents.
The district attorney will get a salary increase to match the county counsel’s salary, Inman said.
“Because we paid the county counsel more to recruit, we feel it’s only fair to pay more to the district attorney,” Inman said.
The county counsel, Dennis LeClere, was hired in May of 2006, Inman said.
“They hired him at $136,000,” Inman said. “Now he’s at $147,456.”
The raise was a result of cost of living adjustments and a new salary schedule for department heads, Iman said.
In January, the Board of Supervisors approved a new system for department head salaries so they can receive performance-based raises, Inman said.
“Before that they were just on a flat salary and there were no steps for performance,” Inman said. “Every other employee is on that system except the department heads weren’t.”
Inman examined the salary of six department heads that were recently recruited. For recruitment purposes, salaries were increased by an average of 16 percent, Inman said.
“What about the other department heads that have been loyal, that have stayed,” Inman said. “If they left, we would have adjusted their position up 16 percent.”
The salaries of four department heads were increased by five percent: the Director of Health and Human Services Kathryn Flores, the Director of Behavioral Health Alan Yamamoto, the Agricultural Commissioner Paul Matulich, and the Director of Integrated Waste Management Mandy Rose.
In addition, the salaries of three elected positions were increased: Assessor Tom Slavich, Marshal Robert Scattini, and Treasurer-Tax Collector Mary Lou Andrade were increased by five percent.
In addition the Board of Supervisors will review the way their compensation is calculated. The salary for members of the Board of Supervisors was tied to employee salaries, Inman said.
“The Board is entitled to an average of what the other elected officials received,” Inman said. “The perception could be, that they could increase the salary of the elected officials and they would benefit.”
In February, Inman proposed that members of the Board tie their salary to a percentage of judge’s salaries, Inman said. The proposal will go before board members again sometime in April, Inman said.
A judge’s salary is set by state officials, Inman said.
“They get what the judges make, not to exceed what the employees make,” Inman said. “I can’t remember the last time that any city or county got close to what the state’s been paying.”
Currently, a board of supervisors member makes 26 percent of a judge’s salary, Inman said.
County salary comparison
Napa
(intro salary)
Agricultural Commissioner
112,800
District Attorney
$184, 224
Health and Human Services Div. Manager
$83,604
Mental Health Director
$120,684
Treasurer-Tax Collector
$149,364
Kern
(incl. $7,140 car allowance)
Agriculture Commissioner
$113,654
District Attorney
$197,119
Health & Human
Services Director
$137,171
Mental Health Services Dir.
$144,505
Treasurer-Tax Collector
$153,762
San Benito
Agricultural Commissioner
$96,360
District-Attorney
$147,456
Dir. Health&Human Services Agency
$125,484
Dir. Of Behavioral Health
$114,912
Treasurer-Tax Collector
$112,140
