4c) Discussion and Possible Action Including Introduction and Waive First Reading of an Ordinance of the Board of Supervisors of the County of Mendocino Amending Chapter 3.04.071 of the Mendocino County Code Increasing the Base Salary for Members of the Board of Supervisors
(Sponsor: Human Resources)
Your total lack of understanding what it means to be a supervisor is appalling and disheartening. You went against the advise of department heads, caused a financial crisis in the county, have said that there is no money for the people that actually keep this county functioning and now you propose giving yourselves a raise for your stellar performance. Your idea of leadership is pathetic and shows that you do not care about the people you are supposed to be taking care of.
It's not right.
I’m stating my protest on the wage raises for both the CEO and Board of Supervisors. I can barely make ends meet for me and my family. I live in a rundown apartment that is a health concern and can’t afford to move due to cost of living being so high in this county. I am also on food stamps due to cost of living being so high. These officials do not worry about cost of living based on the salary they currently receive. Who will speak for the little people with families trying to get by each month. 1% is not enough to make a difference in pay, especially when taxes take so much out, and cost of living is so high. They are greedy and do not need more money. This county needs help and not by raising the wages of overpaid bureaucrats. Help the people who are the backbone of this institution. Thank you for your time.
The whole idea of the "salary survey" is flawed to begin with. It's comparing apples to oranges. How do you think it would go if I walked into my bosses office and asked for a raise just because my neighbor makes more money than me? I'm fairly certain they would laugh me out of the office. Well, the residents of this county are your boss and that's what you are asking of us, with a straight face I might add. The sad thing is, you're not really asking us are you. I spent some time running numbers from Publicpay.ca.gov and what I came up with is very interesting. It turns out the board of supervisors are already overpaid when you compare oranges to oranges. I'm suggesting the pay should be determined by some real world metrics that might include population, county size, total budget, number of employees, total employee wages. The results of this algorithm should be a multiplier that is applied the the average county employee pay. This is just an unfinished thought on my part, but something must be done about elected officials voting on their own pay package, it should not be the case for county executives either. Just to put the supervisors current pay into perspective. The current average total wage reported to publicpay (excluding benefits package) for a Mendocino County Supervisor is $110,381.00. Using population of 89476 put the per capita pay of $1233.64 per 1000. That number doesn't mean much by itself until compared to the rates of the 58 other California counties. It puts Mendocino at number 14 out of 58, only 13 counties pay their supervisors more per capita. All the surrounding counties pay less, Sonoma county substantially less. Obviously it wouldn't be very accurate to just use population to determine pay but it's better than using geographic proximity.
A 15k a year raise for the BOS while our lowest-paid workers -who were labeled ESSENTIAL during the COVID pandemic- net less than 25k a year is disappointing, and a sign of poor leadership. We need to uplift those who struggle the most, not line the pockets of those at the top. How can you look our lowest paid coworkers in the eye, and tell them they deserve $18 plus change an hour for their labor, and justify the raise you want to give yourselves? Again, this reflect very poorly on leadership and does not engender my trust in the Supervisors of this county. Supes, I challenge you to work a day as a grounds maintenance technician or a cook at juvenile hall for less than 20$ an hour and let us know how it goes.
I find it abhorrent that Supervisors would ask for this without first ensuring a $20 baseline for county workers and securing a COLA. Supervisors are county workers and should get equitable increases that mirror what all county workers get.
It's disgraceful that the board of supervisors should vote itself extravagant raises while denying working-class county employees cost-of-living raises. And it's an additional insult that already-underpaid county staff will be expected to increase their health care contributions next year. Boo! Pay librarians first and supervisors second!
As a long time resident of Mendocino County, I have had the good fortune to live in Willits, the Anderson Valley and now Fort Bragg over the past sixty years. In that time, I’ve witnessed the ebb and flow of county government in good economic times and bad.
It’s impressed upon me the important role our county supervisors have as our representatives championing quality of service to county residents by county employees and agencies. Our supervisors are the guardians of the guardians when it comes to holding county officials accountable.
Its often a job that invokes hash backlash and resistance from those that put their own self interest and well being ahead of the common good. It often demands the wisdom of Solomon to sort out the true best interests of the general public and the competing demands of special interests seeking to feather their own beds.
And while the personal attacks and smears that supervisors must endure are part of the job, the public shouldn’t act in a short sighted fashion to oppose setting salary and benefit levels that provide a living wage for our supervisors. We’ve all felt the sting of inflation and Supervisors and their families are no different.
The compensation package proposed today is a fair one that serves an important public purposes - it would brings supervisor compensation up to level that maintains a living wage and by doing that assure a base wage that will eliminate an economic obstacle to any citizen in the county that may wishes to compete to serve the public as supervisor in the future.
I want to note that the compensation proposed today is commensurate with the increases provided all county employee classifications. This package is not luxurious or unwarranted, indeed more than 100 county employees have higher salaries.
I therefore support the proposed compensation increase.
The BOS has shown questionable financial decision making - merging the financial offices despite the lack of sufficient people power and curtailing our checks and balances; suspending one of our elected officials without any warning (and without pay)! thereby opening the county up to a huge lawsuit; initiating new systems before proving they will actually work - punishing conscientious homeowners who put in solar and are getting outrageous incorrect bills; failing to give meaningful COLAs to County workers who are struggling to keep up; and you are going to give yourselves raises? It must be a misprint.
I do not support this and, frankly, it outrages me that the Supervisors want a raise when many county employees do not make a living, prosperous wage, and county employee unions got pushback for negotiating for COLAs. Shameful!
This is a disgrace. If Mendocino County is in such dire financial straights due to the poor management, planning and oversight by the Board of Supervisors that they are laying off county employees to keep budgets tight, & have county employees making barely above minimum CA wage, but are choosing to vote to raise their own salaries, how can there be trust that the Board of Supervisors aren't just out to support themselves? Increase front line staff salaries, hire and retain staff for continuity of services to the public, and focus on solving the fiscal debacle we now find ourselves in due to poor management before choosing to increase your own salary.
As a county employee this feels like a slap in the face. We had long, drawn out, contract negotiations last year and were told the county didn't have the money to give us adequate COLAs to help with inflation. No raises for Supervisors until all county employees have living wages!
There should be a county minimum wage of at least $20. County employees are underpaid and understaffed and deserve pay raises before the Board of Supervisors!
Your total lack of understanding what it means to be a supervisor is appalling and disheartening. You went against the advise of department heads, caused a financial crisis in the county, have said that there is no money for the people that actually keep this county functioning and now you propose giving yourselves a raise for your stellar performance. Your idea of leadership is pathetic and shows that you do not care about the people you are supposed to be taking care of.
It's not right.
I’m stating my protest on the wage raises for both the CEO and Board of Supervisors. I can barely make ends meet for me and my family. I live in a rundown apartment that is a health concern and can’t afford to move due to cost of living being so high in this county. I am also on food stamps due to cost of living being so high. These officials do not worry about cost of living based on the salary they currently receive. Who will speak for the little people with families trying to get by each month. 1% is not enough to make a difference in pay, especially when taxes take so much out, and cost of living is so high. They are greedy and do not need more money. This county needs help and not by raising the wages of overpaid bureaucrats. Help the people who are the backbone of this institution. Thank you for your time.
The whole idea of the "salary survey" is flawed to begin with. It's comparing apples to oranges. How do you think it would go if I walked into my bosses office and asked for a raise just because my neighbor makes more money than me? I'm fairly certain they would laugh me out of the office. Well, the residents of this county are your boss and that's what you are asking of us, with a straight face I might add. The sad thing is, you're not really asking us are you. I spent some time running numbers from Publicpay.ca.gov and what I came up with is very interesting. It turns out the board of supervisors are already overpaid when you compare oranges to oranges. I'm suggesting the pay should be determined by some real world metrics that might include population, county size, total budget, number of employees, total employee wages. The results of this algorithm should be a multiplier that is applied the the average county employee pay. This is just an unfinished thought on my part, but something must be done about elected officials voting on their own pay package, it should not be the case for county executives either. Just to put the supervisors current pay into perspective. The current average total wage reported to publicpay (excluding benefits package) for a Mendocino County Supervisor is $110,381.00. Using population of 89476 put the per capita pay of $1233.64 per 1000. That number doesn't mean much by itself until compared to the rates of the 58 other California counties. It puts Mendocino at number 14 out of 58, only 13 counties pay their supervisors more per capita. All the surrounding counties pay less, Sonoma county substantially less. Obviously it wouldn't be very accurate to just use population to determine pay but it's better than using geographic proximity.
A 15k a year raise for the BOS while our lowest-paid workers -who were labeled ESSENTIAL during the COVID pandemic- net less than 25k a year is disappointing, and a sign of poor leadership. We need to uplift those who struggle the most, not line the pockets of those at the top. How can you look our lowest paid coworkers in the eye, and tell them they deserve $18 plus change an hour for their labor, and justify the raise you want to give yourselves? Again, this reflect very poorly on leadership and does not engender my trust in the Supervisors of this county. Supes, I challenge you to work a day as a grounds maintenance technician or a cook at juvenile hall for less than 20$ an hour and let us know how it goes.
I find it abhorrent that Supervisors would ask for this without first ensuring a $20 baseline for county workers and securing a COLA. Supervisors are county workers and should get equitable increases that mirror what all county workers get.
I am against these pay raise. Put the workers First!!!!
It's disgraceful that the board of supervisors should vote itself extravagant raises while denying working-class county employees cost-of-living raises. And it's an additional insult that already-underpaid county staff will be expected to increase their health care contributions next year. Boo! Pay librarians first and supervisors second!
No board raises until workers have a loving wage.
As a long time resident of Mendocino County, I have had the good fortune to live in Willits, the Anderson Valley and now Fort Bragg over the past sixty years. In that time, I’ve witnessed the ebb and flow of county government in good economic times and bad.
It’s impressed upon me the important role our county supervisors have as our representatives championing quality of service to county residents by county employees and agencies. Our supervisors are the guardians of the guardians when it comes to holding county officials accountable.
Its often a job that invokes hash backlash and resistance from those that put their own self interest and well being ahead of the common good. It often demands the wisdom of Solomon to sort out the true best interests of the general public and the competing demands of special interests seeking to feather their own beds.
And while the personal attacks and smears that supervisors must endure are part of the job, the public shouldn’t act in a short sighted fashion to oppose setting salary and benefit levels that provide a living wage for our supervisors. We’ve all felt the sting of inflation and Supervisors and their families are no different.
The compensation package proposed today is a fair one that serves an important public purposes - it would brings supervisor compensation up to level that maintains a living wage and by doing that assure a base wage that will eliminate an economic obstacle to any citizen in the county that may wishes to compete to serve the public as supervisor in the future.
I want to note that the compensation proposed today is commensurate with the increases provided all county employee classifications. This package is not luxurious or unwarranted, indeed more than 100 county employees have higher salaries.
I therefore support the proposed compensation increase.
Peter McNamee
Fort Bragg, Ca. 95437
No! Pay county employees a livable wage.
Bring all county workers up to a liveable wage before considering board raises. The board should get the same COLA as the rest of county workers.
The BOS has shown questionable financial decision making - merging the financial offices despite the lack of sufficient people power and curtailing our checks and balances; suspending one of our elected officials without any warning (and without pay)! thereby opening the county up to a huge lawsuit; initiating new systems before proving they will actually work - punishing conscientious homeowners who put in solar and are getting outrageous incorrect bills; failing to give meaningful COLAs to County workers who are struggling to keep up; and you are going to give yourselves raises? It must be a misprint.
I do not support this and, frankly, it outrages me that the Supervisors want a raise when many county employees do not make a living, prosperous wage, and county employee unions got pushback for negotiating for COLAs. Shameful!
This is a disgrace. If Mendocino County is in such dire financial straights due to the poor management, planning and oversight by the Board of Supervisors that they are laying off county employees to keep budgets tight, & have county employees making barely above minimum CA wage, but are choosing to vote to raise their own salaries, how can there be trust that the Board of Supervisors aren't just out to support themselves? Increase front line staff salaries, hire and retain staff for continuity of services to the public, and focus on solving the fiscal debacle we now find ourselves in due to poor management before choosing to increase your own salary.
As a county employee this feels like a slap in the face. We had long, drawn out, contract negotiations last year and were told the county didn't have the money to give us adequate COLAs to help with inflation. No raises for Supervisors until all county employees have living wages!
There should be a county minimum wage of at least $20. County employees are underpaid and understaffed and deserve pay raises before the Board of Supervisors!